A Choice to Make
by ShainaNight
Summary: Knowing that it's the only way for her and Nick to stay together, Alex is determined to marry him. But that means losing her magic, and what if her magic is just as determined not to leave? WOWP/JONAS crossover. Sequel to Like Magic.
1. Vanilla Twilight

**Okay so apparently I just can't not write sequels and threequels to my stories. It's like, impossible lol. So here's a sequel to Like Magic, for you guys who were begging for one :)**

**Just so you don't get confused, it takes place three years after Like Magic.**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Please review :)  
**

I looked in the mirror one more time. It wasn't as if I'd changed much in the past three years, but there was definitely something different. I overheard Mom describe it to Dad as a 'glow'. Whatever it was, it had made its appearance around the same time as Nick came into my life.

I smiled at the thought of my boyfriend as I smoothed down my gray tunic shirt. There was something about him, something that had drawn me even closer to him over the past three years. He made me feel like I could be anything and do anything I wanted, made me feel beautiful no matter what I was wearing. I felt happy—no, not happy; that word wasn't strong enough—I felt completely and utterly content with the world. Yeah, that worked.

Justin had explained to me something about a magical bond we shared. I kinda tuned out halfway through it though when he started rambling about the conflicting laws of science, but I got the idea. There was some mysterious power in the universe that wanted us to be together, and I was more than perfectly fine with that.

The doorbell rang. I grinned and ran downstairs.

"Move Max!" I said, pushing my little brother out of the way. Well, I guess he wasn't so little anymore. At fifteen he had finally hit his growth spurt, now towering a full foot above me.

"Why don't you ever let me get the door?" Max complained. Nope, the little brother was still there.

"Because it's for me," I responded simply before thundering down the stairs.

"It's always for you," Max muttered.

Once I reached the door, I flung it open to find Nick standing there, a single burgundy rose in his hand.

"Hey," he said softly, smiling. I loved the way one side of his mouth always curved higher than the other.

"Hey yourself," I responded, getting up on my tiptoes to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer, the rose lying forgotten on the floor.

"Do you guys mind? I like to actually enjoy my evening newspaper," Justin said from the couch.

"I swear, Justin, sometimes you act just like a ninety-year-old man," I retorted.

"And surprisingly I don't have a problem with that," Justin replied, licking his finger and turning the page.

I shook my head, giving up.

"So, are you ready to go?" Nick asked me.

"More than ever," I said, watching in horror as my brother got out his horn-rimmed reading glasses.

Nick wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me out into the hall. I still hadn't gotten over that tingling feeling every time he touched me, something I was glad for.

The sun was just starting to set as we left Waverly Place. Cresting a hill that looked out onto a park, my breath caught in my throat at the breathtaking sight of a creamy golden sky, tinted at the edges with dusky rose. "Isn't it beautiful? Almost like a—a vanilla twilight," I said.

Nick didn't respond. When I glanced over him, I noticed he was staring at our intertwined hands.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Nick's honey-brown gaze caught mine. "Nothing. I was just thinking."

"What about?"

"How the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly."

I smiled. "You know, those would make good lyrics to a song."

"Yeah, maybe I'll mention it to Kevin and Joe later."

There was that killer smile again. Man, if he only knew what he was doing to my heart. I laced my other hand in his and said, "Look, these fit perfectly too."

Nick squeezed my hands before letting one go and reaching up to trace a finger along my cheekbone. I closed my eyes as he drew me near and kissed my nose before dropping his lips to mine. I ran my fingers through his wind-ruffled curls, getting as much out of the moment as I could.

"You know I love you more than anything in the world, right?" Nick asked me in a whisper.

"Mhmm," I murmured, getting lost in the golden pools that were his eyes. "I love you too."

"But I wanted to tell you that I'm not going to stand in the way of your magic," he told me.

In an instant, my beautiful rose-colored world shattered. I pulled away. "What?"

"Alex, your powers are a part of you. I don't want to ruin that."

"You're not ruining anything." My heart was beating unevenly. Was Nick trying to tell me he wanted to break up?

"But the wizard contest is in a week. And if you win…"

"Nick, I'll still love you, no matter what happens."

"I know that. But I could never…"

"Marry me?" I suddenly understood. Rather than losing me to the wizard world, he was letting me go. It must have been a hard decision for him to make.

I took a deep breath, knowing what I had to do. I'd been thinking about it for a while now. "Nick, I'm forfeiting the competition."

Nick's eyebrows rose. "You're not going to participate? Alex, I can't let you do that."

"My mind is made up, Nick. Even if I were to win, I don't think it's possible for me to survive without you. Literally."

"But if there was a possibility you could—"

"I'd still give it up. Look, Nick, having magic's been a lot of fun. But it could never give me what you can." I slipped my hands into his palms, enjoying the soothing warmth they provided.

"Are you even allowed to just not compete?" Nick asked me with a doubtful expression.

"I think so. I don't see why I couldn't."

Nick smiled. "I can't believe it. You're really mine. Forever."

"Yeah, I guess you're stuck with me."

"I think I can live with that." Nick's face was less than an inch away from mine. I easily closed the gap, pressing my lips against his.

The citizens of New York had quite a lot to say about the sudden, unpredicted meteor shower that night on the following day, although I'm pretty sure they would have never guessed it was caused by two teenagers head over heels in love.

**Gasp! Another Owl City reference. Sorry guys, couldn't resist. I LOVE Vanilla Twilight :)**


	2. Telling Him

**Chapter Two. Don't worry; they'll get longer later :)**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Please review :)  
**

"You're doing what now?!"

I cringed. Justin was a little more upset than I thought he was going to be. "I'm not competing," I repeated.

"You can't just—give up! We've been working towards this since we were little," Justin said, abandoning his cup of herbal tea and turning to face me.

"Justin, you know it wouldn't work out if I did win. Remember what you said about the magical bond?" I realized I was pleading, but I had expected Justin to be happy about my decision. He was the better wizard, after all, although I would never admit it to his face.

"Alex, I don't think you understand. Wizards can't forfeit without reason."

"What reasons are there?"

"Well, there are only three legal exclusions. One, if you die suddenly. Two, if you have some kind of disease or injury that prevents your participation."

"And the last one?"

Justin cleared his throat nervously, as if he really didn't want to say what was on his mind. "The last one is if you marry a mortal."

"You mean, like, marry a mortal now or in the near future?"

"I mean now."

"Oh." I bit my lip. This wasn't the plan. I was only eighteen; Nick and I weren't supposed to get married for another two years at the very least. We were still kids practically. "What happens if I don't have a reason and just don't show up?"

Justin looked down at his shoes. "Banishment. And that doesn't mean you could be with Nick. Marry him and the magical connection stays unbroken because you're still partly a Russo. Don't show up and all magical bonds will be severed. You'd be cut off from us, from the wizard world, from Nick. Stuck in the mortal world forever but never really being part of it is a fate no one should have."

I gulped. Since I wasn't dying and wasn't sick, as far as I knew, that left me only one choice.

"You know you could just compete and lose on purpose," Justin suggested.

"Yeah, but that would take work, and you know how I feel about work," I replied.

Justin just stared at me. "So to get out of work, you're going to marry someone. Doesn't that sound a little silly to you?"

"Nope," I shrugged. Really, you think he'd know me well enough by now.

Justin rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Mom and Dad are so going to kill you," he told me.

"No they're not. Because I'm not going to tell them."

Justin's right eyebrow shot up. "Alex, you can't just not tell them. And even if you don't they're going to find out anyway. I mean, what are you going to do about the competition; tell Dad you found a loophole in the wizard law? And where are you going to live?"

"I don't know all that yet. I'm still figuring it out," I answered, feeling slightly frustrated. "Please Justin. Pinky swear you won't tell them."

Personally I thought pinky swearing was lame, but it was the only thing that kept Justin quiet. I could tell he was having an internal battle on what to do. The pouty face I was making wasn't exactly helping things for him. Sure, Justin and I fought sometimes, but we still recognized and respected the sibling code.

At last, Justin sighed. "Fine," he said, sticking out his pinky. I grinned and wrapped mine around his.

**********************

"Nick! Your wizard girlfriend's here to see you!" Joe's voice echoed upstairs.

Needless to say I was surprised. It was nine in the morning on a Saturday; hardly the time to come calling. Something had to be wrong.

I stumbled out of bed, grabbed a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt that had been lying on the floor, and changed into them as fast as possible. Then I quickly matted down my hair, hoping Alex wouldn't notice how bad it looked in the morning, and slid down the fire pole.

Alex was waiting on the couch in the living room, looking a little uncomfortable. Maybe because Joe, Kevin, and Frankie were sitting across from her, grinning like the nosy idiots they were.

"Guys, do you mind?" I asked, pretty sure Alex didn't like being watched like some kind of zoo animal.

"And miss everything? No, I'm staying right here," Joe answered, settling into the couch.

"I honestly just have nothing else to do," Kevin said with a shrug.

"Are you guys gonna break up or something? Because I want to watch," Frankie said excitedly.

"It's okay; I was thinking we could go for a walk anyway," Alex said before I could snap at my brothers.

"Anything you want," I told her. Before we left, however, I made sure to give them all an evil glare, just in case they decided to follow us or something.

There was a playground a couple blocks down that was secluded by thick oak trees. It was there that Alex headed for. She sat on one of the old swings, her hands gripping the rusted chains tightly, the toes of her high tops dragging in the mulch. I stood in front of her and wrapped my hands around hers, gently swinging her towards me and back.

"Is something wrong, Alex?" I asked, trying and failing to keep the worry out of my voice.

Alex's liquid eyes flitted up and held mine. Although beautiful as always, they betrayed what she was feeling: apprehension. "No, nothing's wrong. I just don't know how to say this," she admitted.

My blood ran cold. "You haven't…reconsidered, have you? About keeping your powers?"

Alex shook her head. "Of course not. But…the thing is, Nick, I found out there's only a few ways to get out of the competition. And none of them are easy."

"What are they?"

"Well, either I have to die, get cancer all of a sudden, or—" Alex looked down at her toes, letting her dark hair fall like a shining curtain in front of her face. "—or I get married. As soon as possible."

It took a little while for my brain to understand the full meaning of her words. It would be an understatement to say this came as a shock, but for some reason I felt calm and collected. I pushed back her hair and lifted her chin so our eyes met.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

Now it was Alex's turn to be surprised. "Wait, are you saying you'd actually do it? Even though we're only eighteen? And our parents might kill us if and when they find out?"

"Actually, my parents got married at eighteen. Although they might not be too happy, I think they'd get over it." I ran my thumb along her jawbone, feeling the slight shiver it caused. "Alex, I've wanted to marry you since I found you passed out in the alleyway behind my house three years ago."

Alex smiled. "But what if this is a bad idea? I mean, we're so young. What if we get married and then realize we don't really like each other, and end up fighting all the time? What if the wizard council doesn't let me off the hook? What if—"

I didn't let her finish. Without giving her any warning I bent down and kissed her, my hand tracing her hairline. Completely taken off guard, her hands suddenly loosened their hold on the swing chains, and a moment later we found ourselves in a tangled heap on the ground.

Alex started laughing, not even caring that she had mulch chips stuck in her hair.

"I'm so sorry! I could have snapped your neck," I apologized, horrified.

"Relax, Nick. I'm fine. I'm probably going to have a very uncomfortable bruise on my seat later, but I don't care," she told me. Her laughter was contagious, and soon I found myself joining in. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer for a kiss. I instantly forgot about all the mulch I had been trying to pick out of her hair.


	3. An Unwelcome Visitor

**Little bit of drama in this chapter. I like to mix it in :)**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Pleas review :)  
**

"I'm sorry, Dean. It's over."

"Lori, baby…"

"That's not going to work this time."

Dean watched as his latest girlfriend flipped her wave of platinum blond hair over her shoulder and stomped angrily out his front door. He figured it probably wasn't a good idea to leave the door unlocked while he was kissing another girl. No, flirting with that cashier at the fast food restaurant hadn't been a good idea. This was a terrible idea. But he reasoned he couldn't help it. This girl—the one Lori had walked in on—had reminded him so much of Alex.

So it was actually Alex who was the problem. Truth was, he had never gotten over her. He realized now that breaking up with her had been a mistake. In the past three years he had gone through girls like tissues, each and every one leaving in a huff after a week or so for reasons unknown to him. There was only one solution to this problem.

That's why Dean Moriarty was back on Waverly Place, heading towards the Sub Station. He walked inside, breathing in the refreshing scent of familiarity.

There was a sudden sound of a pencil dropping. "Dean?!"

Dean smiled. If anything three years had only made Alex more beautiful; she had become a woman while he was gone. She clasped the counter behind her, eyes wide in surprise and loathing. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I've missed you, Russo," Dean replied, his voice soft and sweet. Alex shivered in disgust. That voice no longer had a hold on her.

He was only a few inches away from her now, having passed the borders of her personal bubble long ago. Alex leaned back against the counter, cornered.

"Please, Dean. Don't do this. What we had is over and done with," Alex said. She yearned to use magic in defense, but her common sense—something that had made a sudden appearance recently and that she still wasn't used to—told her it would only make it worse. She really didn't need him telling the whole world her family's secret.

Dean wasn't listening. He ran his hand up Alex's arm, who immediately hastily slapped away. In response he grabbed her wrists tightly, locking them in a hold that made her gasp in pain.

"Listen, Alex. I love you. It was stupid of me to break up with you, but I guess I didn't know what I was doing."

"It's too late, Dean. There's someone else now."

All pleasantness left Dean's eyes, turning them cold and black. "I'm not losing you again," he said firmly, his lips diving towards her neck. Finding herself unable to escape, Alex resorted to screaming, although she knew no one was around to hear her.

A moment later, Two hands appeared without warning, wrenching Dean off of her and throwing him roughly on the floor. Nick stood over him, fists clenched in anger. Right then it didn't matter that Dean was taller than he was, or could probably do more damage to him. It didn't matter that Nick normally had a calm disposition and rarely dealt with situations in this way. When it came to his girl, everything changed.

"What's this, Alex? Pretty boy here's your boyfriend now?" Dean said in amusement.

Nick grabbed the front of Dean's shirt and pulled him up, their noses barely more than a centimeter apart. "Fiancé, actually," he said through his teeth. He pushed Alex's offender as far away from him as he could. "Now are you going to leave quietly, or am I going to have to throw you out myself?"

"Whoa, cool it, man," Dean said, staring at Nick with a trace of fear in his eyes. "No girl's worth this." And with that he left the Sub Station, slamming the door behind him so hard the glass pane rattled. Alex breathed in relief, feeling the bad atmosphere leave with him.

"Alex, are you okay?" Nick asked, enveloping her in his arms.

"I'm fine," Alex responded, burying her face in his shoulder and taking in the comforting old spice smell of his shirt.

"That was Dean, right?" Nick stared out the window at the swiftly retreating figure. He was no more than a blur now; exactly how Nick preferred him.

Alex just nodded.

"I promise I won't let him touch you ever again. If I hadn't decided to come over here now instead of later…" Nick didn't finish his sentence, realizing that he'd rather not think about what could have happened.

At this, Alex pulled back a little so she could look up at him. "Why are you here, anyway? I thought JONAS had a recording session in a couple hours."

"We do. But I couldn't wait any longer." Nick fished a black velvet box out of his pocket and lifted the lid to reveal the most gorgeous diamond Alex had ever seen. It was set into a gold band that was shaped like rose leaves, making the diamond look like the bud.

"Wow, Nick. It's beautiful," Alex said, speechless. "But you know I can't wear it. I'm pretty sure that Mom, at least, would notice if I was suddenly wearing an engagement ring on my finger."

"I know that. But I wanted you to keep it with you. At least until we're together and you can finally wear it," Nick said.

Alex smiled. "Thank you," she said sincerely, slipping the breathtaking piece of jewelry in her pocket and planting a kiss on his lips.

"I wish I could stay longer, but you were right about that recording thing. Stella will kill me if I'm not at least two hours early so she can fuss over all our outfits," Nick told her. He held her at arm's length, a contemplative expression painting his face. "Will you be alright here without me?"

"Yeah, Justin'll be home soon after he drops off Juliet. And I don't think Dean's coming back this time," Alex said.

"He better not," Nick said firmly. He kissed his fiancée's forehead before releasing her and walking out the door. He turned and smiled one last time before he disappeared.

Alex sighed and leaned back against the counter, her knees suddenly weak.

"So are you going to explain that?"

Alex jumped. "Harper! When did you get here?"

Alex's best friend crossed her arms, her glass panda-studded bracelets clinking together. "Just in time to see him give you that ring. You guys were a little too wrapped up in each other to notice," she responded.

"Oh…" Alex muttered, wondering exactly why being with Nick made her oblivious to everything else.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were getting married? Me, your best friend! Do you realize how long it's going to take me to get my maid of honor dress made?"

Alex had a sudden vision of Harper in a lurid pink puff of a dress and had to shake it out of her mind. "Harper, we're trying to keep this a secret. Only Justin knows. It's going to be a quick, simple wedding."

Harper smiled suddenly, her features flooding with understanding. "You're giving up magic for a mortal just like your dad did? I think that's just the most romantic thing," she said dreamily.

"It's the only way. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Alex apologized.

"No need to be. Secret or not, you're going to need a wedding dress." Harper was starting to get a maniacal glint in her eye that Alex wasn't particularly fond of.

"It's okay, Harper. I'll probably just magic one up."

Harper looked offended. "Nonsense! Now I don't exactly have time to make one for you, so we're just going to have to go—"

Alex groaned, knowing full and well what was coming next.

"—dress shopping!"

******************

Hours later around dinner time, Alex came trudging up the stairs to her apartment, laden down with bags. It had been a long day at the mall, considering how different hers and Harper's tastes were. At last they had agreed on a linen maxi dress with sandals (even though she let this slide, Harper wasn't too happy about it; she was a firm believer in brides wearing heels) and peacock feather earrings. Alex was so tired she completely skipped dinner and passed out on her bed, glad that you only had to get married once in your life. Well, usually.

"Mom wants to know if you want anything to eat," Justin said from the doorway.

"Nah, I had a humongous pretzel thing at the mall. I'm way too worn out right now anyways; I'd probably fall asleep in the soup or something," Alex replied.

"We're having spaghetti."

"Same difference."

Justin looked at the shopping bags that had been unceremoniously dumped on the floor. The linen dress was falling out of one. He sighed and closed the door behind him.

"You know, when you said that you were actually going to go through with this, I was hoping it was one of those whims you usually get," Justin told his sister.

"What whims?"

"You know, like the time you begged for horseback riding lessons and Mom took you all the way to upstate New York just to get them? And then you quit because you said the horse was 'being evil'?"

"What? He was. He sneezed right in my face and then knocked me over on purpose."

"The point is, you rarely follow through with things, Alex."

"Well this is different. Nick and I have something, Justin."

"I know. That's why I was only hoping that it was another whim. But I know the bond changes things."

"It's still kinda weird though, isn't it? Me being the first to get married?"

"Yeah, not exactly happy about that."

"Why, because it will make you look like even more of a dweeb?"

"For your information, Juliet and I are still going strong. We're going to wait until _after_ the twenty year mark to get married. You know, when we reach a mature age." Justin looked at Alex pointedly.

"If I cared enough I'd think you were trying to tell me something."

"Well I guess it really doesn't matter. I don't think you'll ever reach a mature age."

"Says the guy whose best friend is his Captain Jim Bob action figure."

A glaring contest ensued.

"Fine. It appears my opinion doesn't really matter anyway," Justin said, turning to leave.

Alex felt a little guilty. Justin was just trying to protect her; it wasn't really his fault that he was so annoying about it. "You know, it's probably a good thing that Nick's been hanging around so much lately. Like this morning when Dean stopped by."

Justin paused, retracted his hand from the doorknob, and pivoted around to face his sister. "That—creep—was here?"

"Yeah. He came to tell me he wanted me back."

An ancient anger, like an old wound being opened again, resurfaced in Justin's voice. "It's been three whole years, for goodness sake. What did he do when you said no?"

Alex wrapped her arms around her in what she hoped was an inconspicuous manner and said, "He wasn't happy."

Justin wasn't easily fooled, especially since he was able to read the truth in her face. He grasped her arms and pulled them away from her body, palms up. The light from a nearby lamp revealed bruises circling her wrists. Justin just stared at them, his expression hardening. "Where is he? I'm going to kill him," he vowed.

"Nick threw him out already. If he hadn't got there when he did…" Alex trailed off, letting Justin imagine the worst.

"Yeah, good thing he did," Justin agreed, his view on Nick changing a little bit for the better.

Alex only smiled, her mission completed.


	4. Midnight Wedding

**So I was going to tell you guys that the chapters might come slower since I'm in college now, but then I realized I was too addicted to writing to not find time in between school lol.**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Please review :)  
**

"Have you noticed something about Nick, Macy?" Stella asked, absentmindedly stirring her strawberry smoothie.

"Is this about that new shampoo you recommended for him? Because I've already told you a hundred times that yes it is an improvement," Macy replied, shaking a piece of ice out of her soda cup into her mouth.

"No, it's not that, even though I was so totally right about that shampoo. Doesn't he seem a little more secretive to you? And he's been over at Alex's an awful lot lately," Stella said thoughtfully.

"Well considering it's in his nature to be secretive, I can't really tell the difference. And it kind of makes sense about the Alex thing; I think she's the first girl he's actually fallen in love with."

"Still…"

"Why do I have a feeling that you're not going to just let this go?"

"Because I wouldn't be Stella Malone if I didn't do a little snooping."

Macy tossed her empty cup in a trash can near the table they were sitting at. "You know the best place to go if you want to dig up some dirt, right?"

Stella thought for a moment before grinning. "Frankie."

****************

"Ah, my good friends. To what do I owe this lovely visit?" Frankie said in his best Godfather voice.

"How'd you get this off the bus?" Stella asked, momentarily distracted by the enormous swivel chair and office desk now situated in Frankie's room.

"I know some people," Frankie said mysteriously. "Now are we going to sit around all day talking about the furniture?"

"Frankie, we need your help," Stella said leaning forward her chair.

"Stella thinks Nick's hiding something, and she—well, we—want to find out what it is," Macy added.

"Hmm." Frankie stroked his chin. "I'll see what I can do. But I'm going to need a little motivation." He held out his hand and cleared his throat.

Stella dug through her purse, pulling out a five dollar bill and placing it in his hand. Frankie just looked at the note and then back at her.

"Come on, Macy," Stella prodded.

"What? This wasn't even my idea," Macy protested.

"Do you want to know what's up with Nick or what?"

Macy sighed. "Fine," she said, pulling a five out of her own pocket and placing it on top of Stella's. Frankie's fingers curled tightly around the money.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you," Frankie said with a grin.

******************

"Alex, would you like to explain this?"

I looked up at my mother and felt my blood run cold. Displayed between her thumb and forefinger was my engagement ring. "Where'd you get that?" I asked, my throat dry.

"I found it in your pants' pocket when I was doing the laundry," Mom said, tossing it on the table in front of me. It skittered across the wood, coming to a rest by my hand. "Alex, you know how I feel about marrying young. You don't realize how big of a responsibility it is."

"Mom, I'm eighteen. I'm not a little kid anymore," I told her, closing the ring into my palm. Its hard diamond surface was oddly comforting.

"Alex, I know you're growing up. But I would hardly call an eighteen-year-old an adult. You have so much time to mature. What about college?"

I crossed my arms and slumped in my seat, knowing full and well how juvenile it was. "You sound just like Justin," I told her flatly.

"You should listen to your brother sometimes."

"Well I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry I can't be the perfect child like Justin."

"Don't use that tone with me, young lady."

"You can't tell what to do anymore." As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I was pretty sure Mom was going to burst a blood vessel.

"Listen to me, Alex. As long as you live under my roof, you obey my rules. And as a rule, you are not allowed to get married for at least another year."

I stared at my mother in shock. A year? An entire year? The shock quickly turned to boiling anger. Every light around us flickered as I stood up, a sudden wind without a known source whipping my hair out behind me. "Fine! Then I'm not going to live under this roof anymore."

"Fine," Mom responded, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed together.

I marched my way upstairs, slamming my bedroom door behind me. I angrily pushed back the tears and dragged my suitcase out of the closet, throwing it on the bed. Everything I owned magically began to dump itself in it.

"Alex, how are you doing that?"

I turned to find Justin with his hand on the doorknob, watching my possessions fly through the air towards their destination.

"What, did Mom send you up here to talk some sense into me?" I asked crossly.

"As a matter of fact, I haven't been anywhere near Mom. I was in my room reading up until I heard that explosion a second ago and came to see what happened," Justin replied.

"Mom found this," I said, showing him the engagement ring glimmering on my finger. "Nick gave it to me a couple days ago. She got really mad about it and told me that I couldn't marry him for another year as long as I lived here. So I'm moving out."

"Alex, I don't think it's wise to be on bad terms with Mom. Remember what happened with Aunt Megan?"

"I don't care." I wiped a tear from under my eye, trying to pretend it was a speck of dust instead. "Besides, this had to happen eventually. Mom just doesn't understand that I need to be with Nick."

"At least talk to Dad first. He used to be a wizard, after all."

"Yeah right. He sides with Mom on everything; haven't you noticed?" My suitcase had finished stuffing itself. I slammed the lid shut, zipped it up, and hauled it off my bed.

"Alex, wait," Justin said, grabbing my arm.

"Justin, don't think there's anything you can do to keep me here," I warned him. I felt a sudden warmth, most likely fueled by anger, rush through me, and Justin let go of me as if he had been stung.

"Ouch! Now how'd you do that?" He demanded.

"Do what?"  
"You burned me! And without a spell or a wand."

"I didn't do it on purpose."

Justin sighed. "I know you didn't. Anyway, I was going to tell you that if you still want to get married, right now's a good time."

I stopped and looked at him quizzically. "Why now? It's eleven o' clock at night. I don't think the courtroom's even open."

"Not here. I mean, not in this world."

His meaning suddenly dawned on me. "Why on earth would we have someone in the wizard world marry us?" I asked, confused.

"Because I'm not sure what's going to happen. Your magic doesn't make sense, Alex. It seems almost…attached to you. I've been doing a lot of studying—"

"Oh here we go," I said, rolling my eyes.

Justin glared at her. "As I was saying, I've been doing a lot of studying, and I don't think it's going to leave quietly. It would be better if we were in the wizard world just in case something happened. And courtrooms there are open at this time of night."

"What do you mean? What would 'happen'?" I asked, not liking the sound of that.

"That's the thing. I don't know."

I shivered. "Okay, we'll do it your way. But I need to call Nick first. And Harper."

"Why Harper?"

"Because she'd kill me if she wasn't at my wedding. Although I could just tell her that you didn't let me invite her. Good luck running for your life."

Justin's face paled. "Fine, call her. It's probably a good idea to have more than one witness anyway."

****************

Sneaking out of the house hadn't been easy, but I'd done it. I took a calming breath as I drove towards New York City, the midnight roads pleasantly clear. I kept on thinking one of my brothers actually had woken up and was following me, but then I realized that it was just my imagination getting the better of me.

I'd never done anything this rash before. Marrying Alex was a major step for me, especially this late in a totally different world that up until three years ago I didn't know existed. If I had listened to that little voice in the back of my head I would have turned around then and there. But there was something else drawing me to my fiancée like a magnet; I couldn't pull away. I loved her too much.

The forty seven minute drive gave me enough time to think about what was going to happen afterward. Alex had told me in a shaky voice that she wasn't going back home; apparently her mom had found out about us and they'd had some sort of blow-up over it. I supposed I could bring her back to my house; Mom and Dad were out of town for a week-long anniversary celebration trip, and Macy was taking Kevin to the zoo—don't ask. Joe had somehow been lassoed into being Frankie's show and tell project at school, so he'd be gone for part of the day. Alex would probably be able to spend the night, although she'd have to sleep in the attic again. No one would ever look there.

But after tonight I didn't know what to do. We couldn't just magic up some place to live; Alex would be mortal by then. And I couldn't live with my family forever. Sometimes my brothers were just too nosy for their own good.

It was a bit of a surprise when I found myself outside Alex's home. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed that I'd arrived.

"Nick! You came." Alex suddenly appeared from the door of the sandwich shop, hugging me. Dressed in a long, flowing white dress with her hair swept up away from her neck, she looked like an angel. The sight took my breath away.

I pulled her in a close embrace, my face buried in her sweet strawberry-smelling hair. I knew then and there that this was where I truly belonged, and anywhere else felt odd to me. "Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?" I asked, my voice slightly muffled.

"Come on. We don't have much time," Alex told me, pulling me inside. All was quiet in the building; Alex had informed me over the phone that her mother had gone to bed without speaking another word to her, and the rest of her family had given up trying to find out what was wrong and were now asleep as well.

I'd been here so many times that I knew exactly where we were heading—the lair, where we would find the door that led to the wizard world. Justin and Alex's unusually-dressed friend were waiting for us there. Justin had the guilty appearance of someone who had just broken the law, but Harper looked excited.

"Ready?" Alex asked me, biting her lip nervously.

"More than ever," I said with conviction, clasping her hand in mine. She smiled and we walked together through the door.


	5. Magic Divided

**Time for the big twist :) Oh and remember, reviews make me happy. Lots of 'em are preferable :)**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS.  
**

I couldn't believe my baby sister was getting married. I especially couldn't believe I was letting her. But the way she looked at him, the way her eyes shone with a light that had been missing for fifteen years of her life, turned me into the biggest sop ever. I wanted her to be happy, after all. What big brother doesn't want that?

Still, the shifting of roles perturbed me a bit. No longer would I be the one Alex ran to when she needed help, the one who protected her from the harms and hurts of the world, the one who offered comfort when she was down. That was Nick's job now. He could give her all that and more; a love that surpassed that of a brother.

I should have been happy. I was happy. Can a person be happy and sad at the same time? Because that would describe it best. I was happy that—unless Max suddenly got a whole lot smarter in the two days before the competition—I was getting the family magic. But I was sad that I was losing my best friend, the person who spent the time she should have been doing homework on finding ways to torment me. I realized, oddly enough, that I was going to miss even that.

I snapped out of my reverie in time to hear the final vows. I was rather proud of Nick, who had only jumped a little at the beginning when he realized the judge was a goblin. Not even the fact that the courtroom we were in was hovering three feet above the ground had fazed him for more than a few seconds. His determination to marry Alex was strong, and I couldn't help but respect him for his loyalty.

The kiss was met with a squeal and feverish clapping from Harper. I only watched, feeling a little sentimental, but also waiting for something to happen. If what I had read in those books was true, it was unlikely that I'd be disappointed.

***************

"Alex, what's wrong?" Nick asked when his new wife stumbled into him, a hand clutching her forehead.

"I don't know," Alex admitted. She felt like she had some random case of vertigo. The room was tipping like a ship at sea, and it made her sick just to keep her eyes open.

Without warning, the marble columns in the courtroom cracked, raining plaster down on them from the ceiling. At the same time, Alex screamed in pain and blacked out, falling into Nick's arms.

"Justin, what's happening?" Harper asked, frightened. She was used to him having the answers for everything.

But Justin didn't answer; he had his eyes trained his sister. Her skin was glowing so bright it hurt to look at her. Nick loosened his grip, scared to death and unsure of what to do. He didn't have to wait long. Golden tendrils of magic shot out of Alex's chest, spiraling down her arm and around his own. He watched in shocked fascination as the magic wove its way up his shoulder, pulsated once more over his heart, and disappeared.

With a shuddering gasp, Alex came back to the present world. She and Nick stared at each other, breathing heavily, trying to understand what had just occurred.

"What was that?" Alex asked, leaning against Nick for support. She suddenly felt a lot weaker than she had been only moments before, like half of her energy had been sapped out of her.

Justin was grinning widely, looking rather pleased for reasons unknown to the others. "What, you haven't figured it out yet?" He questioned.

"Justin, can you please not act like a know-it-all for just one second of your life?" Alex responded wearily.

"I told you your magic was different, Alex. Somehow it had grafted itself into your DNA, so that it was a part of you. It's a very rare thing, but it happens. So when you married a mortal, it just couldn't leave. Technically, however, marriage makes two people one, so it just decided to divide between you and Nick," Justin explained.

"So you're saying that Alex is a wizard still? And that—that I am too?" It was obvious that Nick didn't believe it. It was too impossible.

"Put your hands together," Justin ordered. Hesitantly Nick did so. His palms began to glow, and when he pulled them apart it was to find a beautiful sphere of golden light suspended between them. When Alex held out her hands to it, the sphere expanded and turned silver. Her eyes met Nick's over top of it, and she smiled.

"Congrats to the happy couple and all, but would you mind leaving soon? This building's pretty old and I don't think it could take another, ahem, accident," the judge suddenly piped up, still holding a law book over his head as if the ceiling was about to fall in.

"Come on," Nick said, pulling Alex to her feet. She swayed uneasily. "You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Well she did just lose half her magic. She'll probably be like this for a little while until her body gets used to it," Justin said.

Nick picked Alex up and carried her bridal-style—literally—out of the courtroom, with Justin and Harper following behind.

"I don't know about you, but that was the second coolest thing I've ever seen," Harper remarked.

Justin shot her a curious glance. "Second? What's the first?"

"Striped toe socks," Harper said without hesitation.

Justin just shook his head.

******************

Alex was far too worn out to talk, so she and Nick drove back to the firehouse in silence. It was a comfortable one, however. Alex laid her head on his shoulder, drifting in and out of consciousness, and he wrapped his free arm around her.

"Alex, wake up."

"Hmm?"

"We're home."

Alex looked up and saw the red brick building, which was black in the gloom of the night, looming above her. She let Nick pick her up once more and carry her quietly into the house, up the stairs, and into the attic. He left her on the bed and retrieved her suitcase from the car, depositing it on a nearby chest.

"Please don't leave, Nick," Alex said softly as he started to head to his own room.

Nick paused, trying to decide. Kevin and Joe probably wouldn't notice if he was missing in the morning. They were used to him being an early riser. And Alex looked so beautiful, her dress fanned out around her, a pleading look in her eyes. And this was their wedding night…

"Okay," he said with a smile, kicking of his shoes and lying next to her.

Alex turned toward him and snuggled into his chest. Nick brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her, starting at her temple and moving his lips downward. She closed her eyes, breathing unevenly as he explored her neck.

"Wait," Alex said suddenly as his hand started traveling up her leg, taking the hemline of her dress with it. "I'm sorry, Nick. I know this is supposed to be our special night and all, but I'm just too tired. And I'm not sure if I'm ready yet."

Like the gentleman that he was, Nick drew his hand away, placing it on her stomach instead. "It's okay, Alex. I understand completely. Just go to sleep," he told her, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Alex drifted off easily after that, the constant motion of Nick stroking his fingers through her hair lulling her into a deep sleep.

*****************

"Busted!"

Shaken awake by the sudden outburst, I tried to sit up but found I was unable to due to the fact that Nick's weight was pinning me to the bed. I blinked a few times to clear my vision and saw Frankie standing in the doorway, flanked by Kevin and Joe. Oh, great.

"Ooo, you guys are so in trouble," Joe said tauntingly.

"Nick, would you like to tell us what's going on?" Kevin asked, the serious one for once. Apparently he felt it was his job as the oldest to keep his brothers in line while his parents were gone. I suppose Nick sleeping with a girl could be considered way out of line.

"It's not what you think," Nick said quickly, although I didn't think this argument would hold considering that his legs were wrapped around mine. He untangled them and sat up, releasing me.

"You better start talking," Frankie said with a grin, texting away. Who knows what he was telling his friends about us.

"Alex is my wife," Nick announced, holding up my hand so the ring was visible.

"As of last night," I added.

"Wait, are you saying I have a sister now?" Kevin said elatedly, momentarily distracted.

"Focus, man. Our little brother just got married, in the middle of the night, without Mom or Dad knowing," Joe said slowly.

"Oh yeah…" Kevin said, his excitement fading.

"I knew it! I knew something was up!" Without warning Stella appeared in the doorway, dragging Macy behind her. "By the way, thanks for the text, Frankie. I would have been here sooner, but you know, all those stop signs," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Oh, is that what those red things are for? Stopping? Go figure," Macy remarked, looking a little green. I was going to go out on a limb here and guess that Stella wasn't the best driver when she really wanted to be somewhere.

"Nick, what in the world were you thinking? Your parents are so going to kill you when they find out," Stella scolded.

"What is so wrong with getting married at eighteen? Mom and Dad did it," Nick demanded, lacing his fingers in mine. He must have sensed my unease.

"Yeah, but that was then, this is now. Apparently you just can't do what your parents did anymore," Kevin sighed.

"And you know how Mom feels about planning weddings. And don't forget you're her baby Nicky," Joe teased, using the old childhood nickname that Nick hated.

"Hey, she still has Frankie," Nick replied.

"Actually, I'm kinda working on getting a condo in Hawaii right now, so…" Frankie spoke up.

"Fine, go ahead and tell them. Alex and I are going to find our own place to live anyway," Nick said, standing up.

"Dude, you can't just move out. You can't leave the band," Joe told him.

"I didn't say I was leaving the band. But I have my own family now, and we need our own place," Nick explained.

Joe started to protest, but Stella squeezed his shoulder to stop him. He looked down into her eyes and wished he hadn't. "What? He can't just get away with that," Joe complained.

"Joe, what's done is done. I think it's sweet that Nick wants to take care of Alex. Let him be an adult for once," Stella implored with a winning smile.

Joe sighed. "Okay, Nick. We won't tell them. You can do that when they come back."

"Wow, this is really fascinating and all, but may I remind you that I have school in like fifteen minutes," Frankie said, tapping his watch.

"Let's go, then," Joe said, herding his little brother out in the hall. "Now remember, Frankster, if you _ever_ bring a girl home with you before you're thirty, I will personally kill you," I heard him say as their footsteps faded away.

"You kids don't try anything while we're gone," Kevin threatened before leaving the room hand in hand with Macy.

Nick closed the door behind them and let out a sigh of relief.

"On the plus side, they took it better than Mom did," I commented.

"Yeah, but we still have work to do. I've got to find us a place to live," Nick reminded me.

"I'm sure something will come up," I told him, smiling encouragingly.

Nick smiled back. "You know, I didn't exactly promise Kevin that we wouldn't try anything," he said, closing the gap between the door and me. He pulled me down on the bed with him, covering every inch of my skin with kisses.

"Nick! Someone might still be in the house," I giggled.

"I don't care," Nick replied.

"Not yet, Nick," I told him firmly.

"What if we were in our own house, with no brothers or brothers' girlfriends to barge in on us?"

"I might consider it then."

Nick grinned and jumped to his feet. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find that house!" He said eagerly.

I laughed and got up to change into more casual clothes.


	6. A House to Call Home

**House hunting time for the new couple :)**

**I don't own JONAS or WOWP. Please review :)  
**

"Man, who knew house hunting could be so hard?" Alex said with a huff, leaning against Nick's Mustang.

"I think the fact that we're only eighteen is the problem. And that my parents have primary control over big expenditures from my bank account," Nick mused. He and Alex had been scouring New Jersey for a place to live for hours, even going as far as New York. Everywhere they went they ran into obstacles, and the sun was already starting to go down.

"Maybe this marriage thing wasn't such a good idea. Maybe we're not ready," Alex said, the long day finally getting to her.

Nick lifted her chin, his eyes locking on hers. "Listen to me, Alex Lucas. I will do everything in my power to keep this from falling apart. To take care of you," he promised.

Alex's face lit up. "Alex Lucas. I like the sound of that," she said.

"Really? So do I," Nick replied softly. He brushed his lips against hers, both of them forgetting they were right next to a busy New York street until a car honked at them. Nick drew away a little. "You know, I think I have an idea," he said.

"What?" Alex asked, curious.

"Come on, I'll show you." Nick held the passenger's side door open for her. Intrigued, Alex slid in. He shut the door behind her and walked around to the driver's side.

About an hour later, the Mustang pulled up in front of an old, dilapidated Victorian in rural New Jersey. It was half-hidden by ancient, gnarled trees and grass that hadn't been cut in years. The darkness around it only made it look more dismal.

"Nick, where are we?" Alex asked, staring up at the house apprehensively.

"This was where my grandparents used to live. When they died they left it to me, since I was the only one who cared about it. I'm afraid it's been neglected for a little too long, though," Nick informed her.

Alex looked at him, her eyes suddenly sparkling. "Nothing a little magic can't fix," she said before getting out.

Thanks to their combined efforts, it didn't take long for the old house to be restored to its original grandeur. Nick had a hard time adjusting to the use of magic, but he caught on fairly quickly. When they were finished, it was nearly one thirty in the morning, or so the newly-repaired grandfather clock in the parlor read.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love magic?" Nick asked, surveying their work in satisfaction.

"Only a hundred times," Alex joked.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" Nick put his hands around her waist, pulling her to him.

"About a million times. But that I never get tired of hearing."

"You know, we have our own house now."

"Yes, I noticed."

"And there aren't any brothers or brothers' girlfriends around."

"True."

"I'm running out of subtle hints here, Alex."

Alex grinned and slipped out of his grip. "You have to catch me first," she said mischievously, dashing upstairs. Nick laughed and took off after her.

She didn't make it very far.

*********************

"Justin, have you heard from your sister lately?"

Justin glanced up from his breakfast, feeling a little guilty when he saw the brokenhearted look on his mother's face. He decided then and there that lying would only make things worse.

"Yeah, she's doing okay. She and Nick got married and are living on their own now," Justin told her.

Theresa shook her head. "I still can't believe she did that. What possessed her?"

"Mom, I think there's something you should know about them. There's something that happens with wizards sometimes where they form a sort of magical bond with another person," Justin explained, swirling his spoon around in his leftover blue-colored milk.

"Are you trying to tell me that's what happened to Alex?"

"Yeah. The thing about it is, the bond can't be broken. It wasn't a coincidence that time when Nick nearly died and she did too. This marriage was the only way."

Theresa was lost in contemplative silence for some time. "Maybe I was a little too hard on her. Perhaps I should have talked things over with her instead of getting mad."

"Mom, don't blame yourself. It was a normal reaction; you were just trying to protect her." Justin didn't like seeing her so upset.

"I just didn't know what to do. Alex isn't the responsible one; she's never lived out in the world on her own before. What if something happens to her? What if she accidentally gets pregnant?"

"She better not. Or I will ring that boy's neck," Jerry announced, emerging from the fridge with a pint of double fudge ice cream in hand.

"Jerry," Theresa groaned when she caught sight of the ice cream.

"What? I'm drowning my sorrows," Jerry said simply.

"I think she'll be fine, Mom. Nick's not such a bad guy," Justin said. If there was anyone who knew that it was him; after all, it had taken him three whole years to fully accept the boy his sister had fallen for.

Theresa smiled weakly. "I know, honey. I know."

*****************

Nick and Alex's peaceful morning was disrupted when Nick's phone rang. He groaned and grabbed it from the bedside table, trying not to disturb the girl curled up next to him.

"What?" Nick asked, a little irritated that Joe managed to bother him even from several miles away.

"Oh, did I interrupt something?" Joe said innocently.

"Yeah. My sleep. Now what do you want?" Nick questioned.

"Sorry, Grumpy. I just thought you'd like to know that the studio needs us to record a new song, and Mom and Dad are coming home afterward so it's probably a good time to tell them about you're little 'friend'."

Nick had a feeling Joe was doing air quotations, which were pointless when one was talking on the phone. "What time?" He asked.

"Like now."

"Fine. I'm on my way over." Nick sighed and hung up.

"What was that about?" Alex asked. Although he had tried his best to talk quietly so as not to wake her, his efforts had been in vain.

"Just a recording for a new JONAS song," Nick replied, cupping her face in his hand and kissing her cheek. "I'll try to get back as soon as I can, but I'm not sure how long I'll be. My mom and dad are coming home and they're going to want some answers."

"Good luck. I love you," Alex told him sincerely.

Nick smiled. "Love you too," he responded before getting up.

Six o' clock rolled around, and Nick still wasn't home. Alex waited impatiently for him, dreading the worst. His parents could have killed him for all she knew. Not like she expected them to do that, but you could never be too sure.

At last she heard the brakes of his Mustang squeal in the driveway and leapt out of her chair.

"How was it?" She asked anxiously, meeting him at the door.

"Not bad. Joe's voice cracked on this high note and I might have lost a percentage of my hearing from it, but after that it was smooth sailing."

"Nick! You know what I'm talking about," Alex said, noticing the playful glint in his eyes.

"Okay, okay. Actually it wasn't so bad. They were a little disappointed, and dad lectured me on the importance of being a good husband and—" Nick turned a mild shade of red and coughed "—some things I don't plan on repeating. Then Mom went on about how we shouldn't be afraid to come to them if we need help. Right after that Kevin accidentally let slip about some kind of koala farm he bought and they kinda forgot about me."

Alex wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm glad everything went okay. I only wish…well, it would have been nice if my mom had been the same way."

"Don't worry. I think she'll come around eventually," Nick assured her, detecting the hint of sadness in her voice.

"You think so?"

Nick nodded encouragingly, hoping he was right. Whether he was or not, the look his words put on Alex's face made them worth saying.

"Do they know?"

"About what?"

"You being a wizard now."

Nick's eyes were full of uncertainty. "No. And I don't want them to. I don't want Kevin and Joe, or even Stella and Macy, looking at me like…"

Alex pulled back. "Like they do at me?"

Nick scuffed his shoe against the wood floor. "I didn't mean it like that. They do like you."

"I know. But they see me differently than they see everyone else. I'm not mad about that, Nick. Personally I like that little glimmer of fright Joe gets when he sees me. Keeps him in line."

Nick laughed. "To tell you the truth, so do I. The thing is, I'm still not used to this having magic thing yet, so can we just keep it between us for now? And Justin and Harper, I guess."

Alex stood on her toes and kissed him lightly on the nose. "Sure. But I think you need to realize the true advantages of having magic."

"Meaning?"

Alex smiled, her eyes dancing. "We're taking the carpet out for a spin tonight."

Nick looked quizzically at the antique rug under his feet. "Why do we need to take the carpet out?" He asked.

"Not this carpet, silly. The magic flying one. Justin doesn't know I, ahem, 'borrowed' it yet."

"By 'borrowed' do you mean 'stole'?"

"Tom-a-to, tom-ah-to."

*****************

It took Nick a while to get a hang of using his magic for bigger things. I showed him how to transport oneself to another place and even let him try it on his own. We had to stop testing that one after I lost him somewhere in Africa. He preferred to travel by carpet anyway. In the next couple of weeks we went anywhere and everywhere we wanted in the world. Our visits ended soon after Justin, who had, predictably, won the wizard competition and was now a full wizard, realized the carpet was gone and came over in a huff to take it back. Not that I really minded; as of late I had developed a tendency to get carpetsick, so I didn't mind seeing it go.

The days had begun to grow chillier, the trees changing from green to russet red, signaling the entrance of my favorite season: autumn. Nick was gone most of the time; JONAS was putting out a third album and he was as busy as ever trying to make the deadline. I spent the hours he wasn't home either napping or sitting in the window seat, drawing. This was unusual, since I normally used my free time to do something evil, like call Justin, magically disguise my voice, and pretend to be some Mexican dude trying to sell him car insurance. But lately I was just too tired to bother. It was a sad thing.

Then one day something happened that I never expected. I got a call from my mother.

"Hey mom," I said awkwardly, not sure what say. It had been three months since I last talked to her.

"Alex, it's your father," Mom told me in a choked voice.

I had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Who knew those four little words could change the mood so drastically? "What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"It was a taxi accident, but Justin suspects there's more to it than that. He's in the hospital right now with a couple broken bones and a concussion. They say he'll be fine, but I don't know."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"What's going on?" Nick had just walked through the door, guitar case in hand. I hadn't noticed until then that I was crying.

"My dad was in a car accident. He's in the hospital right now."

Nick dropped his guitar. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go," he said, starting to head back out the door.

I grabbed his arm. "No, Nick. That'll take too long. We'll go the other way."

It took him a second to realize I meant by magic. "Okay. But you're going to have to do it this time. With my luck we'll end up in Europe instead."

I slipped my hand in his and closed my eyes. I felt the world bend around me, allowing us passage through time and space, and looked around to find us standing in a deserted hospital hallway. The first step I took made me lose my balance—I guess this tired thing was affecting my time-and-space-traveling too—but Nick was right beside me to keep me steady. Together we searched for someone who could help us find my dad.

**Dun-dun-dun! Sorry I just like to do that lol. Hope you liked this chapter :)**


	7. Black Magic

**I don't know why, but drama is so fun to write sometimes. You just need a little comedy here and there to lighten the mood :)**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Please please review :)  
**

"Alex! You made it," Justin said in relief, hugging me.

"Course I did," I responded, squeezing him gently before moving on to Max, who was currently going through a no-touching-me teenager stage and made a face. I stepped back and glanced over at Mom. The distance between us felt like more like miles than the actual five feet, and the uncomfortable silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Glad you came, sweetie," Mom said haltingly, as if the words were hard for her to say. But I could hear the truth in them, and the wall between us dissolved.

Without speaking a word I walked over to her and enveloped her in a much-needed hug. Her body was rigged at first, but she soon relaxed. When we pulled away, she gave me a small smile before turning her attention to my husband.

"Nick," she acknowledged.

"Hey, Mrs. Russo," Nick said. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to call her Theresa yet, but Mrs. Russo seemed safe.

"So how's Dad?" I questioned, remembering the matter at hand.

Justin glanced at the doors of the waiting room, as if expecting a doctor to come through them any minute. "He's doing fine, but he's unconscious right now. It's kinda scary, seeing him like that," he admitted. "Come on, I'll take you to him."

Nick and I followed Justin through the doors and down the hall, leaving Mom behind with Max. He stopped at a door with the number 6204 and the label 'Russo' on it and pushed it open. Dad was lying in the bed, seemingly asleep. He had a nasty bruise on his forehead, but I had enough experience with hospitals and monitors to know that his condition was stable.

"Hey Daddy," I said softly, kissing the top of his head. I hadn't expected him to hear me, so it came as a surprise when his eyes twitched and blinked open. For some reason he didn't look very happy.

"You shouldn't be here, Alex. It's not safe," he said cryptically.

I glanced at Justin in confusion. His gray-blue gaze told me clearly that this is what he had meant by 'suspecting something more'. Nick looked just as bewildered as I was.

"I had to come, Dad. You were in an accident," I said.

Dad sighed; apparently talking required a lot of energy. I started to tell him he didn't have to say anything, but he silenced me.

"Just listen, Alex. I didn't want your mother to know about this. I kept it a secret for the longest time, even from you kids. I thought they had forgotten about us, but I was wrong. They were just biding their time. I was only the first obstacle. They're after you; always have been," he said slowly.

"What do you mean, Dad? Who's after Alex?" Justin asked, concerned.

"They're wizards, but they're not like us. They hunt the rest of us, stealing our magic to increase their own. And their favorite prey is those with natural powers, because it's far stronger. Taking it, however…"

Justin's eyes were wide as saucers, realization and fear filling them. "Would kill her," he finished.

Dad nodded. "Justin and Nick, I need you to protect Alex. Without my powers I'm useless, but you two have a chance. Do you promise me that you will?"

"We'd do anything for her, sir," Nick said fervently.

"Promise," Justin said, his tone serious.

Dad smiled and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. We left the room quietly, shutting the door behind us.

"You don't actually believe him, do you?" I inquired, of the mind that the concussion he had received had made him a slight bit delusional.

Justin looked around to make sure we were alone before pulling something out of his pocket. It was a crumpled piece of metal, yellow in color but scratched beyond recognition. "I took this from the site of the accident. It was once part of the taxi Dad was riding in," he explained. He waved his hand over it and muttered a few words, and the yellow surface turned a jet-black color. I realized the black stuff was actually some kind of liquid that was oozing out of the metal and shivered.

"Black magic," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Justin nodded. "The taxi was saturated with it. Whatever hit it was definitely not another car. Or a normal one, at least."

I felt my stomach turn a little. "I still don't feel like I need protecting. They haven't bothering me yet; why would they start now?"

"Probably because they'll strike when you least expect it," Nick guessed.

"Wow, Popstar over there's actually catching on," Justin joked. "But seriously, you're going to be seeing a lot more of us from now on, whether you like it or not."

I groaned as my brother put his arm around my shoulder and steered me down the hall.

*****************

If anyone ever thought having sought-after natural powers was cool, they were seriously mistaken. Nick watched me like a hawk, and whenever he had engagements elsewhere involving the band he'd call up Justin to come over and 'hang out' with me. I even got a Merlin's Hat-equipped Max once when my older brother was busy; worst evening of my life. He invented some kind of game involving pineapples and bathrobes and I was so confused an hour and a half in that I just gave up and went to bed.

On the plus side, Dad was improving. He was at home now, totally milking it on the couch. Having a near-death experience apparently entitled him to limitless chocolate pudding and ice cream, all of which Mom willingly brought to him. Whenever I came to visit he was always his normal lighthearted self, but I never missed the grave look he gave Justin and Nick when they were in the room.

One chilly day in October, I awoke to Nick giving me a light peck on the cheek. I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was six am, and the sun hadn't even come up yet.

"Where are you going?" I asked, missing his warmth already. I wasn't feeling so good and wished he'd just lie back down again and hold me.

"Last minute meet-and-greet in California, and then two concerts. We'll be back by tomorrow afternoon, I promise," he told me.

I sighed. "So who got assigned watchdog duty this time?"

"Alex, I don't want you thinking of it like that. We're just trying to keep you safe," Nick said, trying to convey the importance of the issue in his voice.

"I know. I just feel so trapped sometimes," I responded.

Nick pressed his lips to mine, the passion behind his kiss making me forget for a short moment about how much I felt like a prisoner in my own home.

"I know how you feel, baby. Tell you what; when I get back, we'll go anywhere you want, just the two of us," he said, his breath tickling my ear.

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere."

I smiled, thinking of a few places already. "Deal," I told him.

Nick kissed me one last time before saying, "I've gotta go now. Juliet's going to be here soon though, so you won't be alone for long."

"Juliet?"

"Yeah. I guess vampires are just as qualified as wizards in this situation." Nick seemed slightly hesitant, however, most likely uncomfortable with the idea of a blood-sucking creature watching over his wife. It hadn't been until last summer that he had learned what Juliet was and was still getting used to it.

"Well she's better than Max," I decided. I didn't want to say it, but I figured it might actually be fun to have a girl to talk to for once.

Nick laughed. "Yeah, I can understand that. Well I better get going now. See you tomorrow," he told me.

"See ya. Don't get trampled by fangirls," I joked.

"No worries. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve now." Nick held up his hand, and a few golden sparks shot out of the palm. He grinned, grabbed his suitcase, and headed downstairs. I heard the door open and shut, and then the sound of the deadbolt locking.

My stomach started to churn a few seconds after, and I practically flew to the bathroom to throw up. When I was done I brushed my teeth and changed out of my pajamas, hoping Juliet wouldn't notice what I was trying to hide.

Sure enough, my brother's girlfriend showed up two minutes later, coming through the window I had left open for her.

"Hey Alex! Look!" She said excitedly, slightly flushed. She held out her hand, displaying a ring sparkling on the fourth finger from the right.

"He didn't," I gasped in disbelief. Sure, Justin was twenty now and therefore past the mark he had set for himself, but he had also said it would probably be a while before he actually proposed.

Juliet couldn't stop smiling. "He did! Just last night. He said we'd have to wait until he finished college—you know how he is—but I've waited centuries for someone like him, so what's two more years?"

"Figures. Well I'm happy for you," I told her, remembering back when Nick proposed. For a second my smile faltered, and I swayed on the spot.

Juliet's joy faded quickly. "You okay? Something seems...I don't know, different about you," she said suspiciously.

"I'm fine," I replied, suddenly defensive. "This happens a lot when Nick leaves. The whole magical bond thing and all."

"No, it's not just that. There's something else." I tensed as the vampire sniffed the air. "You were just sick a second ago, weren't you?"

Drat! Maybe I should have settled for Max. Nothing got past this girl. "Maybe."

Juliet began to circle me, and I could feel her eyes inspecting every inch of my body. At last she stopped, facing me with a shocked yet thrilled expression. "Alex Lucas, why didn't you tell me?"

I looked down at my toes, avoiding her gaze. "I didn't want anyone to know. I thought I could hide it."

"Alex, you should know well enough by now that not even magic can hide a pregnancy. Especially when you're having twins."

My head snapped up in shock. "Twins? How do you know?"

Juliet tucked her long blond hair behind her ear placed her hand on my stomach, which was cleverly disguised by a hoodie. "Let's just say that smell isn't the only enhanced sense we vampires have. I can hear two heartbeats in there."

I sighed, falling into a nearby armchair. "I hadn't counted on there being two. Do you know what Justin and Nick are going to do once they find out? Not to mention my parents. They'll lock me up in a dungeon or something."

"I don't think they'd go that far. I mean, it's not like you meant for it to happen."

I didn't respond, taking interest in my toes once more and biting my lip.

"Oh for goodness sake, Alex. Don't tell me you did this on purpose," Juliet groaned.

"I don't know why I did it. You of all people should know it's slightly out of character for me. I just got this really strong desire for a baby, someone who looked a little like me but mostly like Nick, so I just kinda…let it happen," I explained shakily, not feeling so great again.

"Actually, I don't think it is your fault. I was reading through a couple of Justin's books about this magical bond thing, and I came across something that said it was uncommon for the couple not to have a child once they reached a certain age. I think it's supposed to strengthen the bond or something."

"Try explaining that to Justin. And my dad," I told her, my voice muffled considering I had buried my face in the arm of the chair. "I'm not sure Nick will survive long enough to even know he's going to be a father."

"Well, hopefully reason will win out before they do anything that would harm you." Juliet looked doubtful, and I was pretty sure she was planning on stepping in if need be. "But you realize this changes things, right? Your condition makes you weaker, more vulnerable, and therefore easier prey for the wizard hunters."

"Which means I'm never leaving this house again." My heart sank. I had been looking forward to that adventure with Nick, knowing full and well that we wouldn't be going now. Even if I neglected to tell him until after, I'm sure Juliet wouldn't. She wanted me safe as much as the rest of them.

Juliet started to say something, but she cut herself short and tilted her head to the side, listening. "Did you hear something?" She asked.

"No," I said, confused. Besides the ticking of the clock on the wall, the house seemed pretty quiet to me.

"There it is again. Like a window opening…" Juliet eyes widened, and she jumped off the corner of bed she had been leaning against. "Alex, we have to get out of here. Now."

"What is it?" I questioned, standing up. I knew better than to not listen to her.

Without warning, the door flew open. I had barely enough time to register that a man, dressed head to toe in black, was standing there, before something hit me squarely in the chest and threw me into the wall.

Juliet hissed in outrage. She darted through the barrage of magic that was spitting from the man's hands, barely flinching when it scorched her skin, and grabbed me. Then she launched out the still-open window, going into a steep dive before her wings snapped open and carried us up into the cold morning air.

Needless to say I passed out before I even knew where we were going.

**Okay so obviously I like the whole baby idea a little too much. But this time I decided to go with more than just one :)**


	8. Shattered

**Not sure if you've noticed, but these chapters keep getting longer. Yay :)**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Reviews make me a happy person :)  
**

Nick felt a sharp pain in his chest and doubled over.

"You okay man?" Joe asked, coming up beside his brother. They were on their way to the meet-and-greet, surrounded by walls of fans on either side.

"Alex," Nick gasped, a horrible sense of foreboding coming over him.

"I'm sure she's fine," Kevin said reasonably, putting a hand on his shoulder. Nick shrugged it off.

"No, she's not. I've gotta go," he said, vanishing into the crowd. Little did they know how literal that term was.

"Well, I suppose we can do a meet-and-greet with just two thirds of JONAS," Joe sighed, unable to locate his younger brother.

**************

Nick materialized in front of his house, stumbling a bit when he landed. Nothing looked amiss, but he could feel the presence of something foreign; something wrong. He barreled through the door, checking every room. Everything seemed perfectly normal until he reached his and Alex's bedroom.

The armchair was lying broken on its side, and pictures once hanging on the wall were now shattered on the floor. Nick's foot knocked against something that made a small clinking sound, and he bent down to pick it up. Fear seized his heart when he saw that it was the little silver locket he had given his wife for her nineteenth birthday. On a hunch he bent down and touched the floor where it had been lying. A familiar black liquid bled through the floorboards.

So they had been here. They had taken her. Or had they? Juliet had been with her, and Nick highly doubted she'd give Alex up without a fight. He would expect blood smeared somewhere at the very least, and there was an obvious lack of the substance.

The lace curtains that were fluttering gently in the fall breeze caught his attention. He saw that the window was open, and the curtains were ripped to the side, as if the person responsible was in a hurry to get through it. If they had escaped, it was very likely Juliet would have chosen the window before anything else.

But where would she have taken Alex? How far could she have flown while carrying another person?

There was only one place Nick knew to look. The place where there was another full wizard who could protect them. He took a deep breath—it worked best if he prepared himself before disappearing—and found himself standing in the Russos' living room.

"Nick! Thank goodness you're here."

Nick saw the red marks that graced Juliet's cheeks and arms and felt his jaw drop. "Juliet, what happened?" He asked, fearing the worst.

"They attacked us without warning. Good thing I had just arrived; I don't think Alex would have made it out alive." Juliet's words did little to erase Nick's fears, especially since the truth behind them was hard to ignore.

"Is she okay?" He asked, trying to stay calm.

"She's fine. She's asleep upstairs right now, in her old room," Juliet answered.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief. He took the steps two at a time, not even noticing when his brother-in-law passed him on the way.

"Does he know yet?" Justin asked his fiancé.

"Not yet. I think she should be the one to tell him," Juliet replied.

Justin pulled Juliet to him and ran a careful hand along her jawbone. "You know, it's a proven fact that a kiss from a wizard can help heal injuries," he said.

"Really? Well, I guess you should never argue with facts, then," Juliet responded, grinning.

Justin smiled in return and kissed the welts on her face. Juliet closed her eyes, feeling relieved as the burning feeling faded away.

"You were right," she said, opening her eyes again.

"As usual."

"Okay, Mr. Smarty Pants. Then I bet you know what vampire kisses can do."

"I give up. What?"

"Absolutely nothing. But they sure make me feel better."

Justin chuckled quietly as their lips met.

*****************

"Nick! I thought you were in California," I said in surprise.

Nick crossed the room in less than a second and locked me into a fierce hug. "Do you think I was going to let that stop me? Halfway to the meet-in-greet I got this intense pain in my chest, and I just knew something had happened to you."

I touched my fingertips to my collarbone, wincing at where the black magic had left its mark. Nick noticed the gesture and gently pulled the collar of my T-shirt down a bit to reveal the irritated red skin. His expression was stony. "I should have never left you," he told me.

"Nick, you can't live your life like this; always afraid that they might get to me some way, some time. Better wizards have cracked under that kind of pressure," I said, weaving my fingers through his.

"I can't help worrying. I just love you too much to lose you," Nick confessed, pressing his lips against the back of my hand.

"Well don't worry; I plan to stick around," I said with a grin. Running my fingertips over his knuckles, I prepared myself for what I had to say next. "By the way, Nick, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"What?" He asked, my serious tone drawing his attention immediately.

"How would you feel if we were to have a…a baby?" I asked. It was so hard to say that word, that one little insignificant word, when it applied to me.

"Well I don't think it would be the best idea, especially considering what's going on right now," Nick replied, not catching on.

"What if it was too late?"

Nick started to answer, but then realization dawned on him, rendering him speechless for a full five seconds. "You mean…"

I nodded, smiling nervously. His astonished expression told me little about if he was happy or not.

"And I'm going to be…"

"Someone who never finishes his sentences? Then I guess you are cut out to be a dad," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Wow." Nick stood up and paced around the room, running his hands through his curls as if it helped him think.

"Look, Nick, I understand if you're not ready for this—"

Nick was nose to nose with me so fast that I jumped a little.

"Who said I wasn't ready?" He said with a big grin. Enter goofy-new-dad stage.

"So you're okay with it? Despite the situation?"

"As long as you are." Nick's lips grazed mine, his hand resting lovingly on my stomach.

"Oh, another thing. It's not just one; It's two," I whispered in his ear.

That was the first time I ever witnessed Nick fainting.

***************

Of course I was worried about Alex. Who wouldn't be? She was nineteen and way too skinny to be having a kid, much less two at once. Part of me said this was my fault, that I should have been cautious. If she died…

No, I wasn't going to think of that. Besides, Alex was practically bursting with happiness. I watched her tenderly as the weeks slid by, noting the way she smiled and how she rested her hands on her growing belly. I had to admit that she was the most beautiful mother-to-be I'd ever seen, but then again I was biased. She was my wife, after all. And she was carrying my children.

The phrase 'my children' was still strange to me. I hadn't expected this so suddenly. Not even my family knew yet; I figured it would be better if they didn't. I was also dreading telling them, especially after that lecture Dad gave me the day he learned I was married. Not that I was expecting the secret to last long, though, with a brother like Frankie.

Staying with Alex's family may have been safer, but it was proving to be a challenge. Although she was civil, Theresa still hadn't warmed up to me yet, and Jerry liked to spy on us over his morning paper. Justin sometimes had relapses into protective-older-brother mode, but thankfully Juliet showed up often enough to distract him. Then there were the awkward moments, like the time Alex and I thought no one was home and then Max came downstairs right in the middle of her and I enjoying some, ahem, personal 'us time' on the couch. Poor kid locked himself in his room for the rest of the evening until the rest of the family returned.

The only time we were ever really alone was at night. JONAS still had that new album in the works, so I was rarely home during the day, and someone always made sure they were watching over her at all times. Even Harper had decided to chip in, wizard or not. I wouldn't underestimate her, though; any hunter who did was an idiot.

Despite what we were doing for Alex, I recognized that look on her face that was becoming more and more common. She was like an eagle; not meant to be caged and resentful when she was. I didn't want to risk taking her out where she'd be less protected, but I knew she'd find a way of escape sooner or later.

And that would be ten times worse.

******************

"Wake up, Alex."

I opened my eyes slowly to find myself staring into Nick's honey brown ones. His head was resting barely three inches away from mine on the pillow, his gorgeous curls falling over one eye. A smile crept over my lips, and for a brief moment I couldn't believe he was actually mine. I was scared that this was all a dream I would wake up from any second.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Nick told me with a roguish grin.

I looked over at the clock and saw that it was six in the morning. "Right now? You know I usually don't get up until ten," I groaned, remembering that I wasn't a morning person.

"Fine. I thought you wanted to go on an adventure with me, but if you'd rather stay here and have everyone asking you how you're feeling every five minutes, go ahead." Nick slid out of bed and headed towards the door. I saw that he was already fully dressed; he must have been planning this for a while now.

"Nick, wait," I said, sitting up. My body decided to rebel, however, and I folded my arms over my stomach in hopes that the churning feeling would go away.

Nick was there in an instant, helping me to the bathroom. "Maybe this was a bad idea," he mused after I had emptied last night's dinner into the toilet and was now leaning over the sink, trying to get my strength back.

"Are you kidding? I won't ever get another chance like this," I said unsteadily. It had been a whole two months, after all, since the time he had said we would do this.

"Just promise me you'll tell me if you start to feel overwhelmed. Okay?"

"Sure." Anything to get me out of the apartment that was my prison. I didn't vocalize that part, however.

We left fifteen minutes later—and by 'left' I meant time-space-traveled so as not to get caught. Let's just say that Justin's a pretty light sleeper, especially when he's blocking the front door in a sleeping bag. Nick was leading the way, so it surprised me when we reappeared, not in Paris, not somewhere in the Bahamas, but in a little clearing somewhere in the middle of a forest of trees. The morning light twinkled cheerfully through the branches, speckling the leafy ground in a golden pattern.

I looked around, trying to get a bearing on my surroundings. "This looks like Central Park," I decided, noting a bridge off in the distance.

Nick smiled. "The exact place where we got lost that one time," he said.

"And it was raining cats and dogs and we couldn't see a thing so we just huddled under a tree to wait it out. And every time you said it couldn't get any worse, it did," I recalled perfectly, grinning at the memory. "Why here?" I asked curiously.

Nick cupped my hands in his and pulled them in towards his chest. There was a spark in his eye. "Because this was the place I swore to myself that I was going to marry you one day. Even though you were drenching wet and yelling the entire time," he told me softly.

A fuzzy warm feeling spread through my body, and I stood on my toes to meet his lips. He wrapped his arms around me, lowering me down to the ground with him. Not even for a moment did we care about the dew-jeweled leaves that were tangling in our hair and clothes, and I couldn't help but think how glad I was that Max wasn't around to interrupt this time.

Almost ironically, there was a clap of thunder overhead, and a light drizzle began to fall. I laughed.

"Guess we should have seen it coming," I remarked, brushing away the drops that were running off Nick's ringlets onto his face.

Nick shrugged. "Who cares about a little water," he said, his lips grazing my earlobe and sliding down to my neck.

For a moment I forgot about the drizzle. That is, until it started acting less like a drizzle and more like floodwaters cascading from the heavens. Realizing what could happen if we stayed out in weather like this, Nick helped me to my feet.

By the time we got home, sopping wet and laughing like maniacs, it was already around noon. The second we stepped into the Sub Station, we saw that every member of my family, including Juliet and Harper, was lined up in a row to greet us. None of them looked very happy; actually, infuriated would probably be a pretty appropriate word in this situation. The laughter immediately ceased.

"Where in the world were you guys? Do you realize what you put us through?" Mom demanded, crossing her arms.

The euphoric feeling of freedom had long since worn off. I rubbed my arms and shivered, deciding that maybe it hadn't been a good idea to go gallivanting around in a downpour. Nick grabbed a coat off a nearby chair and wrapped it around me.

"I'm sorry, everybody. We were just having a little fun," I said, feeling kind of small all of a sudden.

"A little fun? Do you realize how many ice cream sandwiches I've gone through because of you two?" Dad asked. Now that he mentioned it, I did notice a faint chocolate mustache on his upper lip.

"It's all my fault, sir. I thought Alex needed to get out and do something for once. I know now that I should have told someone first," Nick apologized. Although the whole respectful thing wasn't exactly my area of expertise, I had to give him props for that.

"Just don't do it again, okay? You're the only sister I've got," Justin said, trying to keep his composure.

"Aww, I knew you cared about me," I said. I went over to him and gave him a hug.

"Alex! Great, now I have to go change," Justin complained, looking down at the wet spot on his shirt.

I grinned fiendishly. "Well my work here is done," I said before heading up the stairs for a shower.

There was a sudden crash overhead, and the lights flickered out without warning. Nick looked at each other, fear painted plainly on our white faces, and raced upstairs. The rest of the clan followed. We ran down the hall, searching for the source of the noise, Nick keeping a firm grip on my forearm in case he needed to wrench me out of harm's way. Our search led us to Max's room, where the glass from his window lay shattered like diamond dust on the floor. A wild, rain-filled wind was blowing through the opening, bringing to my nostrils a familiar, unpleasant scent.

Juliet recognized it too. "They've got him," she whispered in a broken voice. "They've got Max."

**Dun-Dun-Dun! (Okay if I do that one more time you have my permission to figuratively slap me lol)**

**Hope you enjoyed it :)  
**


	9. The Man Called Pryor

**Ugh I hate this site sometimes. I just edited this whole thing and it lost it. I had to do it again.**

**Anyway, I'm going to Florida in three days, so it might be a little while before I update again. At least this chapter's nice and long and non-cliffhanger-ish lol.**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Please review :)  
**

I felt sick all of a sudden, something that had nothing to do with my condition. It was the comprehension of what had happened, the people who were after me having taken my little brother hostage instead, that hit me like an anvil in my gut. Max was gone, whether dead or alive I did not know, and it was all my fault.

My breath started coming in short gasps. The lack of oxygen made me dizzy, and my knees buckled beneath me.

"Alex! Is it---you know, time?" Nick asked, reaching out to support me. I shook my head but found myself unable to speak.

"Alex, calm down. I swear to you we'll find him," Justin said, understanding my strange actions immediately.

Since when, however, have I ever listened to Justin? Maybe if I wasn't so stubborn, I wouldn't have passed out two seconds later.

****************

"Alex? Are you awake?"

I felt the edge of the bed sink and opened my eyes to see Harper sitting there, worry etched into her face.

"I am now," I said, noticing her relax once I had responded.

"Thank goodness. You've been out all day," Harper remarked.

I looked around me and saw that I was tucked securely into my bed, as if they thought that would keep someone from stealing me away. It was dark in the room and on the other side of the window, where a dismal rain was lashing against the pane. I realized it was the thunderclouds that were blotting out the day.

"What's up with the lights?" I asked.

"They're still out. All of Waverly Place is powerless; has been for hours now. They're saying it's because of the storm, but Justin suspects the hunters had a hand in it," Harper explained. She fiddled with a thread in her pear-patterned dress. "Listen, Alex. You really shouldn't blame yourself for what happened with Max," she said.

"Why shouldn't I? They wanted me, but they couldn't get me. So they took something that was important to me," I said, my voice cracking. Darn emotions.

"And if what you're putting yourself through harms you somehow, aren't they just getting their way? Max wouldn't want that," Harper reminded. I hated it when she got all wise on me.

"I just don't know what to do anymore. Things just keep getting more difficult," I sighed, placing a hand on my midsection. These kids had no idea what they were being born into.

"Just focus on taking care of yourself. We'll handle the rest."

"You don't get it; I'm not used to being this helpless."

"Actually, I do. Do you know what it's like to be the only person---besides your parents, of course---without magic or vampire abilities? I wouldn't stand a chance if those hunters attacked us."

I felt my stomach twist in guilt. "I'm sorry, Harper. I didn't think…"

"It's okay, Alex. Sometimes it's just enough being here with my best friend. You guys were always like my second family."

"And I'm glad you're here too. After all, what are sisters for?"

Harper grinned.

****************

"Justin, can I talk to you?"

I looked up at my sister's husband skeptically. "What about?" I asked.

"Alex." Nick sat down at the table across from me. He looked nervous; I could tell it was difficult for him to talk to me like this.

I glanced up briefly at the ceiling; my little sister was asleep upstairs. The farther along she got the more tired she was lately, especially after what had happened to Max this morning.

"I'm worried about her. I know everyone is, but I feel mainly responsible," Nick admitted.

"Well you kinda are. She wouldn't be pregnant if it wasn't for you." I couldn't help but be bitter; I mean, I was her brother.

"Don't you think I know that?" Nick sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. "The problem is I feel like I need to fix it, but I don't know how."

I fiddled with the spoon in front of me, hitting one end and making it flip. "I think we just need to find Max and bring him back. And get rid of the hunter threat, if we can. Right now Alex feels like everything that's happened is her fault," I explained.

"How are we supposed to do that? We don't even know who's behind these attacks," Nick said.

As if to answer him, the phone rang. I reached for it tentatively and hit the talk button. "Hello?" I said.

"Justin Russo." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. The voice on the other end was rough and deep, with a hint of a proper British accent.

"Yes?" I felt a sense of unease come over me. How did this person know who I was?

"Listen, boy. I believe I have something you want: a certain Maximilian Russo."

My heart stopped beating for a couple seconds. "Please. We'll do anything," I pleaded. Nick was looking at me with a funny expression.

"I want your sister."

"Never." I set my jaw stubbornly.

"Have it your way." I could almost see him shrugging indifferently. "But I can't promise you that we'll keep him alive. Bring me Alexandra, and you can have your dear little brother back."

"You can't have her!" I felt like ripping my hair out in frustration. How could I protect Alex without giving up Max? And if I did turn her over to them, they'd only take her life, as well as two others in the process. I was fighting a losing battle.

"Oh, we very much intend to. If you want to save Max, meet us at the statue of Simon Bolivar in Central Park at five o'clock with Alex. Fail to do so and your brother is as good as dead."

There was a click on the other end, then silence. I slammed the phone down on the table and buried my face in my hands.

"That was the people who kidnapped Max, wasn't it," Nick said, dreading the answer.

I nodded. "They want us to meet them in Central Park this afternoon with Alex or they're going to kill Max."

"What are we going to do?"

"Well if there's one thing I'm certain of, we're not turning Alex over to those monsters. Dad made it very clear that we were to keep her safe."

Little did I know then that my sister had been listening in on my conversation with the kidnapper via the phone upstairs. And she wasn't about to just lie around and do nothing about it.

******************

"No!"

Macy jolted awake to find her entire poli sci class staring at her curiously. Feeling embarrassed that she had fallen asleep to the drone of the teacher's voice, she slid down in her seat, her cheeks burning.

Whatever else Mr. Monotone-voice had to say about political science went in one ear and out the other. All Macy could think about was the dream, vivid and terrifyingly real. Something about Alex being pregnant and a couple guys in black trying to kill her. And, for some reason, Max as well. She tried to convince herself it was just a dream, most likely brought on by the combination of that horror movie she had seen the night before and sleeping only four hours. After all, Alex wasn't expecting.

But there was a voice in the back of her head telling her it had been a good five months since she had seen her soon-to-be sister-in-law. She tried to reason with it, saying Nick wasn't that stupid, and that they would have told her, but the voice was relentless. She had to find out for certain.

Thankfully, poli sci was Macy's last class for the day. As soon as it ended, she left the campus and jumped in a cab, giving the driver the Russos' address. She realized now how fortunate it was that she had decided to go to college in New York City; it took only a few minutes before the taxi pulled up in front of the sub shop. She got out, paid the man, and marched inside.

****************

I moved slowly down a sparsely-populated sidewalk in Central Park, shoulders hunched, shivering despite the warm woolen pea coat I was wearing. The coat had another purpose: to some extent, it was hiding my swollen stomach. Most people couldn't help taking mild interest in a teenage mom-to-be when one walked past, and I preferred not to be noticed.

It had been tricky escaping when my many bodyguards had a habit of checking on me at five minute intervals, but I had done it. It was only four thirty, but there was no harm in getting a head start in situations like this. I was tired and wet, and very much wishing I could be back in my cozy bed with Nick's arm draped around me, but I couldn't stay in my ivory tower forever. I owed Max more than that.

The towering statue of Simon Bolivar on horseback reared up far too soon. My eyes darted from side to side, searching for anyone who looked like they were holding a sixteen-year-old boy captive. No one looked suspicious, so I leaned against the statue and waited.

About twenty minutes later, I heard someone calling my name and looked up to find Justin, Nick, Juliet and—to my surprise—Macy running towards me. There was no one else in sight, which was a little strange considering the location.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" I groaned. They were totally ruining my plan.

"I could ask you the same question!" Justin said angrily, grabbing my upper arm. "Come on, we have to get out of here before the hunters show up."

"No, Justin!" I wrenched out of his grasp and crossed my arms stubbornly. "This is our only way of getting Max back."

"Alex, I can't let you sacrifice yourself," Nick said, coming up on the other side of my brother. His brown eyes shone with fear and pleading, and I couldn't help feeling bad for what I was doing to him.

"I'm sorry, Nick. He's my brother," I whispered. I shivered again; the wind had picked up without warning, and the sky was unusually dark for five o' clock, even on a stormy fall day. I knew they were coming from the acidic aroma that preceded them.

"I know this is a bit off subject and all, but Alex, why didn't you tell me I was going to be an aunt? Okay actually a future aunt, or rather aunt-in-law, future aunt-in—well, you get the picture," Macy demanded, not looking very happy.

"Kinda in the middle of something here, Mace," Nick told her.

"Fine. Sorry for caring," Macy muttered. She did not, however, pursue the subject.

"Please, Alex. I love you," Nick said softly, his tone so persuasive I nearly complied.

"You don't understand. I have to do this," I responded, trying to keep my bottom lip from trembling.

"You really should listen to her, young man."

The atmosphere immediately changed, poignant with a fear as thick as the fog that had rolled in. We all turned to find a tall, thin man, dressed in a crisp ebony suit and wearing frameless glasses on his long nose, watching us with something akin to amusement in his cold gray eyes. He had graying hair that was shorn close to his scalp and a well-trimmed mustache.

Instinctively Nick pulled me close to him, crushing me to his chest. Justin moved protectively in front of us. I heard a hiss from Juliet and saw her appear next to her fiancé.

The stranger chortled. "Nice little army you have there, Ms. Russo. The vampire is truly a nice touch. However, I prefer the odds to be a little more in my favor."

A dozen black-clad men materialized out of the fog, their capes billowing in the wind. I gulped.

"Who are you?" I asked. If I was going to die, I at least wanted to know the identity of the man was who was responsible.

"I seem to have forgotten my manners. Dreadfully sorry about that. Name's Uther Pryor, magic hunter extraordinaire. And these gentlemen are my employees of sorts. In essence, they are paid a portion of whatever powers I acquire. I assure you it's a rather profitable business venture." The man seemed almost bored, as if he did this every day. Then again, he probably did.

"Why Alex? Why do you want her magic so badly?" Nick asked, stalling.

Uther's composed face split into a grin. "Dear boy, are you even aware of the sheer strength of her abilities? Never in all my career have I come across natural powers of this magnitude. She is the ultimate prize."

I knew what Nick was thinking, could read it clearly on his face. "No. Nick, don't," I begged, but he didn't listen.

"You'll have to take both of us, then; her powers divided between us on our wedding day," Nick said bravely. I heard Macy gasp; she knew well enough that I was a wizard from Stella, but I guess Nick had never gotten around to telling her about his new abilities.

"Nick, you're really not helping here," Justin snapped.

Uther Pryor, however, looked like he had just won the lottery. "Very well. But the girl goes first."

I didn't budge. "Not until you give us Max," I told him firmly.

The wizard hunter raised an eyebrow but didn't seem to mind this suggestion. After all, there was thirteen of them and only five of us; if we tried to run for it we wouldn't go far. He snapped his fingers, and a muscular man approached us out of the mist, pushing a frightened-looking Max in front of him.

"Max!" Forgetting the danger we were in for a moment, I ran forward and hugged my little brother. He had a couple nasty bruises here and there, as well as a cut or two, but he was otherwise unharmed.

"You shouldn't have come, Alex," Max said urgently. "I'm not a wizard anymore; I'm not as important as you are."

"Don't say that, Max. You're just as important as the rest of us. Anyway, this is what siblings do. We look out for each other." I smiled, trying to seem confident. Max wasn't buying it, but he didn't look as scared as he had a couple seconds before.

"Hate to be a bother, but I honestly don't have all day. Errands do, magic to steal, that sort of thing," Uther interrupted. He strode up to us and pulled me away from Max. I gasped in pain as his fingers tightened around my arm, the nails piercing through the coat sleeve. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Justin rush forward, only to be stopped by an unseen barrier. The man chuckled derisively. "Nice try, boy. Really, you'd only be doing yourself harm if you attacked me." Uther turned his attention to me. "Shame, killing you like this. You really are a comely young woman, Alex Russo. And I'm sure you would have made an excellent mother."

I glared at him, ready to fire back with the nastiest retort I could think of, but he didn't give me the chance. Pain, the likes of which I had never experienced before, sliced through me like a knife. I screamed and fell to the ground, unable to find relief from the blades that attempted to sever every bit of magic from my being. Uther Pryor just stood over me, his eyes glinting greedily, his hands extended towards me like magnets to draw the magic out.

Without warning, I felt something new, something that dulled the pain. For this reason it was a comfort, although in any other situation the fact that it was inside my head would have alarmed me.

_Alex, can you hear me?_

The voice—or thought rather—sounded oddly familiar. I glanced up through the haze of pain and saw Macy staring at me with a look of concentration.

_Macy? How can you…how are you doing this?_ It didn't make sense. Macy was mortal as far as I knew. And even if she wasn't, it was impossible for wizards to speak to each other with their minds.

Macy looked just as surprised as I was. _You can actually hear me?_

_Yeah. What's going on?_

_No idea. Some weird things have been going on with me lately. It's kinda cool and kinda creepy at the same time. But anyways, I have this really strong feeling that you can use your bond with Nick to fight this guy off._

_How do you know about the bond?_ As far as I knew, no one in Nick's current or future family was aware of the magical connection we shared.

Macy's eyes widened. This time her thoughts echoed with confusion. _I don't know; I just…know. For goodness sake, why doesn't anything make sense anymore!?_

I tore my gaze away from Macy, focusing instead on Nick. Whatever was up with her could wait till later. Uther had nearly broken me; the edge of my vision was darkening quickly. I mustered the last of my energy and centered it on my husband, trying to imagine the bond acting as a deflector. I closed my eyes and laid my head on the ground. The pain was slowly beginning to ebb away, but I wasn't sure if it was something I was doing or if I was dying.

There was an inhuman screech, and it was like all my magic returned to me at once. I drew a deep, rattling breath, the suffocating feeling having been ripped from my chest. I looked up in shock to see Uther stumbling backwards, clutching his head in agony. All of a sudden he began to...dissolve. I couldn't find a better word for it. Before I knew it, he was gone, his minions turning to ashes with him and blowing away with the fog.

Nick's arms were around me in an instant, pressing my body to his. "Alex! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He asked urgently.

"Nick, calm down! I'm fine," I said, my voice betraying how drained I felt. But the magic was starting to resume its course through my bloodstream, allowing me to slowly recover.

"What in the world happened?" Justin asked, bewildered. I assumed none of his books mentioned the possibility of a dozen and one wizard hunters just evaporating into thin air.

"I just did what Macy told me to do," I replied as Nick helped me to my feet.

Everyone turned to stare at Macy, who was rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. She smiled nervously.

"Wait, she never even said anything," Juliet remarked perplexedly.

"Well, not aloud. It was really weird. Like I heard her with my mind."

"Okay, so first you show up at the sub shop, Macy, telling us you had a dream that Alex went to save Max. And now you can somehow talk to people in their heads? What's going on?" Nick asked.

Poor Macy looked so lost. "I honestly don't know. It's like—like…" The confusion immediately cleared, and her mouth formed the shape of an O. "My mom used to tell me stories about a great grandmother of mine in the Philippines who claimed she had visions. Maybe that has something to do with it."

Justin groaned. "Could you not have told us you were psychic _before_ this whole mess happened?" He asked.

"Sorry. Didn't know myself until like two hours ago," Macy responded.

"Hm," Nick said thoughtfully.

"What?" I asked him.

"This would explain why Kevin didn't get away with stealing her homemade cookies once. I thought Macy appearing out of the closet with a tennis racket was just her being in the right place at the right time," Nick observed, a contemplative expression on his face.

Despite everything I'd just been through, I couldn't help but laugh.

**Btw, Pryor is the last name of my teacher for my online History class lol. I thought the name fit the character well. Oh and I don't know where the idea for Macy being pyschic came from. Guess I just wanted a twist. Hope you liked it :)**


	10. Sacrifice

**Greetings from Florida! I keep having issues with my condo's wi-fi, but it works fine at my grandma's house, so here I am :)**

**Made this nice and long for you guys. Only one more chapter left, but I promise I won't leave you hanging. Can't believe this has been going for so long.**

**I don't own WOWP or JONAS. Please review :)  
**

Jerry was alarmed when he learned what had transpired in the park, but he couldn't help taking interest in how Pryor's spell backfired on him. It had never been done before and was therefore impressive. Theresa gave them an hour-long lecture on how they could have killed themselves, especially Alex. But she had to admit she was glad they had gotten Max back, and practically squeezed him to death afterward, much to his dismay.

Life pretty much went back to normal after that. Nick and Alex moved back into their own house, and Macy went home, not breathing a word about her newfound gift. Apparently it only kicked in once in a while, and she was perfectly okay with that. She could not, however, keep the fact that Alex was having twins a secret. Stella was very talented at getting things out of people, and once she knew, so did the entire world.

It didn't come as a surprise when Kevin, Joe, and Stella showed up on the couple's doorstep a few days later.

"So Nick, I hear you've been keeping secrets from us," Joe said, giving his little brother a noogie on the head.

"Guess he just has to keep one-upping us, huh? First to get married, first to have kids. They grow up so fast, don't they?" Kevin remarked, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Looks like we need to catch up with them. Right, Joe?" Stella said suggestively.

Joe suddenly looked very much like a deer caught in headlights. "So how 'bout them Giants?" He laughed nervously, changing the subject.

"Oh you are so not getting out of this," Stella told him, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him.

"So where's Alex?" Kevin asked, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Resting upstairs. She's been feeling pretty sick lately," Nick responded, matting down the hair that his brother had ruffed up.

"She must have heard we were coming," Joe commented jokingly.

"We'll just have to come over some other time and talk about this over tea. Preferably Earl of Grey," Kevin said, heading out the door.

Joe shook his head and started to follow him. "By the way, Nick, Mom and Dad are planning on calling you later for another 'talk'," he mentioned.

Nick groaned. "Thanks for the warning," he said.

"No prob, bro." Joe thumped him on the back, perhaps a little harder than he needed to, and left.

"Don't forget to tell Alex that I'm here for her if she needs anything. Anything at all," Stella told him, a maternal glint in her eye.

Nick smiled. "Okay, I'll tell her."

Stella returned the smile and then chased after Joe to make sure he didn't steal the keys from Kevin.

Nick closed the door and sighed. "You can come down now," he called.

Alex descended the stairs slowly, holding onto the railing with both hands for support.

"You know you can't hide from them forever," Nick told her.

"I don't plan on hiding forever. Just until I'm not fat anymore," Alex responded.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you look beautiful?" Nick asked truthfully, snatching her up before she made it to the bottom of the stairs. Even with her double burden, she didn't weigh as much as she should have, which worried Nick a little.

"No fair. You have to let me be cranky sometimes," Alex complained, her mood changing when Nick's lips locked with hers.

"Only three more months and you won't have an excuse," he said with a sly grin.

"Nick Lucas!"

"What? I was kidding." Nick laughed, fending off his wife's playful slaps. She still had a pretty mean arm.

It didn't take long for Alex to tire. It never did these days. Nick lay back on the couch with her, letting her rest. "You doing okay?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine. They've just been kicking a lot lately. I think they've already started fighting," Alex joked, pressing a hand to her stomach.

"They're so much like you already."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

Nick chuckled and kissed her nose.

****************

"Alex, Justin's here. He wants to talk to you."

"Tell him I'm asleep," I grumbled, buried deep in the blankets.

"I think it's pretty important, whatever it is."

I groaned and clawed my way out of bed. "Fine. I'll go kill him in person then," I said. Nick helped me stand up, and I stumbled my way downstairs. "Do you know how stupid of an idea it is to wake up an extremely hormonal pregnant lady?" I asked when I got there.

For once Justin didn't have a comeback. "Alex, this is serious," he said.

"Alright, I got the message." I yawned, scratching my head, and led the way into the living room, where I turned to face my brother. "Okay, what's up?"

"This." Justin pulled out an ancient dusty book, bound in leather and probably a thousand or so pages long. He opened it somewhere in the middle to a bookmarked page and handed it to me. I just stared at him quizzically, not bothering to take it from him.

"Oh come on, Justin. You know I don't read," I said.

Justin heaved a frustrated sigh and pulled the book back towards him. "This is about the nature of the relationship between a two people who share a magical bond. I was reading it when I came across this chapter. It says, 'in the instance that a bonded couple produce a descendant, the chances of the female counterpart surviving the delivery are one in five, due to the transfer of power from parent to child."

"English, please," I said. The second he'd started reading out of the book I kinda tuned him out.

Justin slammed the book shut. "It's saying that you might die. Especially taking into consideration that you're having twins."

I felt cold all of a sudden, which was saying something. Die? I knew there was always a chance, but one in five didn't sound so hot. It was actually probably more like one in ten, if what Justin said was true.

"What do you suggest I do? It's sort of too late to go back now," I told him.

"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure it out." Justin looked severely bothered by the fact that there was one thing in the world he didn't know how to solve.

"Well it's not going to happen to me. I won't let it," I said stubbornly, knowing full and well that it was an empty oath.

"I wish it were that simple." Justin ran his fingers over the raised leather cover of the book in his hands, as if searching for an answer. For the first time I noticed the faintest trace of worry lines creasing his forehead. Was he really that scared about losing me?

"Hey, it's okay. We got the best of Pryor, didn't we?" I reminded him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The corner of Justin's mouth tweaked. "True. Wizard hunters are supposed to be impossible to defeat. But I can't pretend I'm not concerned about this."

"She'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Nick appeared out of nowhere, apparently having eavesdropped on the conversation. He wrapped his arm tightly around my waist as if he feared I would collapse any second now.

"Come to think of it, yours is the strongest bond I've ever seen. There's a possibility you could pull through okay," Justin remarked.

"And I guess having a nerdish brother like you might be a little helpful," I teased.

"Wow, thanks," Justin said sarcastically.

**************

I couldn't believe I was actually calling Stella, but I didn't have any other choice. Nick was touring with his brothers to promote the new CD, although he had nearly stayed at home instead. Since I was only four weeks away from my due date, this was understandable.

Unfortunately, his absence only made me weaker. I spent most of the time in bed, finding even trips to the bathroom and kitchen difficult. It took me a while to admit I needed help. But then I remembered the number Stella had left.

"Bout time you invited me over," Stella announced, walking into the living room and tossing her purse on the couch.

"Thanks for coming," I said weakly.

Stella dropped her energetic manner. "Man you really don't look so great," she commented, studying me.

"Yeah I kinda figured that." I was passed out on the futon, trying very hard to not think about throwing up.

Stella put her hand on my forehead. "Alex, you're burning up!" She exclaimed.

"I'm fine," I said to no avail. Stella was already poking at me; I wondered when exactly she had become a nurse.

"No, you're not. I think you have fever."

"Honestly I—" I began, but Stella had already scampered off. She returned with a thermometer. Trying to keep her from sticking that thing under my tongue was useless.

"Alex, you have a temperature of one hundred and three!"

"Fine, maybe I'm a little sick."

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot. What's your point?"

"My point is that you need to see a doctor."

"Psht, like that's going to happen."

If I was my normal self, I probably could have taken her. But the way I felt right now, I was no match for Stella Malone. Somehow I ended up at the doctor's office, and after that on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. All because I had to invite my brother-in-law's girlfriend into my house.

Well it wasn't like I was going to stay there, stuck in bed. Don't get me wrong; I love sleeping, but only when it was my choice. So I did something Nick would have killed me for; I snuck out while Stella was out getting chicken noodle soup ingredients at the store.

I wasn't really sure where I was heading. It was so refreshing to just be free, walking down the streets of New York City with the spring air blowing through my hair, that I just went wherever my feet took me. It took me a while to realize I was lost, which wasn't hard to do in New York even for someone who was born there.

"Great," I said between my teeth. Stella was not going to like this. My intention had been to slip out for a little while and make it back before she did. Adios to that idea. I slipped into a nearby Starbucks, sat at a table near the back, and reached for my phone. It was only then that I realized I had forgotten to put in my pocket.

Why was it that everything I decided to do on my own turned out rotten? It was like the universe was working against me. It was while I was contemplating the possibilities of this that I felt something on my legs that was definitely not water.

"Not here. Not now." I ran to the bathroom, which was thankfully only a few steps away and empty. There was no question; my water broke four weeks early. Panic started welling up in my chest. I wrapped my sweater around my waist and ran for the door, but the first contraction hit me before I got there. I leaned against the wall, doubled over in pain.

The door suddenly flew open, and to my immense relief Macy dashed in.

"You know, I can't keep saving you like this. One day my visions are going to fail and then where will you be?" She asked in frustration, grabbing my arms to hold me up.

"Thank you," I managed to get out before the next wave of pain came.

"Come on. I already have an ambulance waiting," Macy said, practically carrying me out of the bathroom.

"You know you're stronger than you look," I muttered.

"Sports," Macy explained in a preoccupied tone.

I didn't even care that everyone in a twenty foot radius was watching as I screamed the whole way into the back of the ambulance. Macy dodged around the paramedics and sat near my head, bravely enduring it when I squeezed her hand to death. She whipped her cell phone out with her free hand and called Nick.

Whatever pain I had been through before had been nothing compared to this, not even when Pryor tried to steal my magic. This was torture, excruciating agony. I felt like I was about to be ripped in half, and my eyesight was turning red.

"Alex! Alex, it's okay, I'm here. Just hold on." Nick's terrified voice was muffled by my shrieks. I felt his warm, comforting touch and calmed down a little.

"Nick, I can't….I…" I said, unable to finish the sentence.

"Please, Lexy. Stay with me."

I was remotely aware of the beeping of a monitor and what seemed like a million people shouting to each other. The stench of antiseptic filled my nostrils, as well as a rusty smell: blood. I held on just long enough to hear the cry of the first baby before going completely under.

**************

"Did you find anything yet?"

"Not since a minute ago when you asked."

Nick sighed and paced in front of the window. It was unusually sunny outside, and he almost hated it for being so pleasant. Justin was sitting at a nearby desk in his room, flipping through magic book after dusty magic book. He was looking for anything that would pull Alex out of her coma.

At least the twins were born healthy. One was a boy, older by two minutes, and the other was a girl. Nick was going to put off naming them until Alex woke up, but then he found the notebook she had been writing down names in. It was full of scribbles, some of which Nick guessed must be names. There were only two legible ones at the top of the back page, circled in red ink. Thus, Noah Jordan and Corrie Hayle were what the nurse wrote on the birth certificates. Nick felt he owed it to Alex, especially if she…

No, she was going to come through okay, Nick was sure of it. If anyone could find a solution it was his brother-in-law.

"This just isn't anything I'm used to dealing with. How to cure something caused by a spell would be a piece of cake, but this is different." Justin turned a particularly yellowed page and scanned it. "Wait! Here's something."

Nick perked up and was at Justin's side in a millisecond, peering over his shoulder. "What?" He asked eagerly.

Justin grimaced. "Never mind. It's a little medieval."

"What do you mean?"

"The sacrifice of another life. A blood relative; one who's had a shave with death before."

"See if there's something else." Nick didn't like the sound of that.

Unfortunately neither of them heard the retreat of footsteps in the hallway, belonging to a certain young man who only wanted to return the favor of saving his sister's life.

***************

_Max._

My eyes flew open. I sat up, ripping off the hose that was feeding me oxygen. My heart was pounding frantically. I didn't know how, but I knew my little brother was in trouble. And I knew it was because of me.

Carefully I pulled the IV out of my hand, thankful that they used a tiny tube instead of a needle these days. The sticky things with cords hooked to them that monitored my heart hurt a little more, but I ignored it. By the time the wildly beeping machine drew the attention of the nurses, I had already disappeared.

**************

"Justin, have you seen this?" I held up a note from Max. It was a farewell letter, explaining how all he wanted was Alex to come back. It took me a while to realize it was a suicide note.

Justin grabbed it and read it quickly. He looked up at me with alarm in his eyes and stood up in a flash. "We have to find him. Now."

"How are we supposed to find him? We have no idea where he went," I reminded as we thundered down the stairs.

"I don't know. Call Macy or something," Justin told me.

"Hey! Where are you guys going in such a hurry?" Jerry called after we nearly knocked a tray of empty soda glasses out of his hands.

"No time to explain, Dad," Justin responded, not bothering to slow down. His father just shook his head.

"You know, Macy sees things on occasion, but not everything. I can't just make her have a vision," I told Justin as we strode to the end of Waverly Place to find a taxi.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"No."

"Then just try it, okay?"

Sighing in defeat, I pulled out my cell and found Macy in the phone book.

"Hey Mace, I know this sounds kinda crazy, but Max is trying to kill himself to save Alex and we need to know where he is."

There was a stunned pause. "Sorry Nick, I don't know where he is," Macy responded, sounding truly apologetic. "My visions aren't that frequent."

"Please, Mace. Try. He's making a huge mistake."

I could tell she was thinking. Finally she said, "Okay, Nick. I'll see what I can do."

There was a lengthy pause. I waited anxiously, praying she'd see something.

The silence was suddenly interrupted by a sharp intake of breath. "Brooklyn Bridge. Hurry, you've only got fifteen minutes."

"You're a lifesaver, Macy. Literally."

"Anytime, Nick."

"What did she say?" Justin demanded, unable to keep his voice calm.

I stuffed the phone in my pocket and hailed a taxi. "He's going to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. We don't have much time."

The ride to the bridge was a stressful one. Although there was little traffic, we caught a couple stoplights, all of which Justin groaned and impatiently tapped his fingers at. I'm sure the cabbie was very glad to be rid of us when we at last stepped out of the car. It was dark out, but in the glow of the streetlights I could clearly see the outline of my wife's brother, perched on the edge of the bridge.

"Max! Don't do it!" Justin shouted, breaking into a run.

Max pivoted around quickly. "You don't understand! Alex is going to die!" He yelled back.

"We'll find another way. Please, Max, Alex wouldn't want you to do this," I pleaded.

"Nick's right, Max. I wouldn't."

We all turned in surprise to see Alex standing there, hospital gown billowing in the breeze. She was clinging to the railing of the Bridge, obviously unsteady on her feet. I was too shocked to move. Last I'd seen her, she'd been lying in a hospital bed on breath support. How'd she get here? The first thought that struck me was that I was seeing a ghost, but that didn't make sense. I would have known, would have felt it, if she died.

I looked over at Justin, who looked like he had just figured out something. "The book said 'a sacrifice'. Not a death."

Suddenly I understood. It was just the mere fact that Max was risking his life that had woken Alex. He didn't really have to die.

"Alex!" Max ran at her sister and hugged her.

"Watch it, Max! I'm still sore," Alex gasped, stumbling a bit.

"Sorry." Max pulled away, grinning like an idiot. "I thought I'd lost you."

"We all did." I approached Alex and wrapped my arms around her. She burrowed her face in my chest, and I kissed the top of her head.

"Um, Alex, how exactly did you leave the hospital?" Justin asked. It wasn't until then that I noticed that her hand was bleeding due to a small incision where the IV used to be.

"Darn it," Alex muttered.

"We should probably get you back before everyone thinks someone kidnapped you," I decided, picking up my wife so she wouldn't have to walk any farther.

"Only if you guys don't leave me," Alex said firmly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Max announced.


	11. Happy Endings

**Last chapter! Sorry it's short, but I wanted the ending to be short and sweet. Hope you've enjoyed the story this far.  
**

**I don't own JONAS or WOWP. Please review :)  
**

"Noah! You get back here right now young man!"

I watched as the brown curly head of my four-year-old son turned to regard me with a mischievous expression. He took the most after me—which meant evil and scheming yet cute at the same time. Corrie was more like Nick; quiet, sweet and polite. She was usually the one who kept Noah in line. Right now she was telling him off for running away from me in the grocery store. I couldn't help but find it funny.

"Mom, can we get this?" Noah asked with big pleading eyes, holding up a box of Cookie Crisp.

"Too much sugar."

"How about this?"

"Too much money."

"This?"

"No!" Man I sounded like my mother. But who knew she was actually right all those times?

Noah pouted for a while, reminding me of Nick so much that I nearly gave in. Nearly. Later I caught him trying to stuff the Cookie Crisp in the cart and was glad I didn't. Needless to say he had a reason to be pouty now. Corrie just shook her head-full of shiny dark brown hair disapprovingly.

"Alex? Is that you?"

I looked up in surprise to see Dean Moriarty standing there. Five years had changed him, but he still had that boyish look I knew all too well.

I reached out and pulled Noah and Corrie close. "Dean? What are you doing here?" I asked guardedly.

"Just picking up some stuff. It's been ages, Alex," Dean said. He glanced down at my kids, who were staring at him curiously. "Are these yours?"

"Yes."

"That Nick Lucas must be a pretty busy guy."

"You know what, Dean? I really need to be going now," I said sharply. I picked Corrie up, put her in the cart, and started off with Noah's hand clamped tightly in mine.

"Wait, Alex. I didn't mean it like that." Dean ran his hand nervously through his hair. "I wanted to apologize for what I did to you all those years ago. I was pretty stupid back then."

I stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Was?"

"Yeah. I didn't realize it until after I left you that second time. I got in a car crash that landed me in the hospital for a whole month. Gave me time to think."

"Oh." I felt a little bad about the wreck thing, even if he had deserved it. "So how are things going now?" I asked.

"Pretty good," Dean said with a genuine smile.

"Dean, I'm ready to check out." A young woman appeared from one of the aisles and threaded her arm through Dean's. She was very pretty, with short, wavy blond hair and big blue eyes, but I noticed something was different about her right away. Something about the way her eyes didn't focus on me: she was blind.

"Alex, I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Sarah," Dean introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Alex," Sarah said sweetly, proffering a hand. I shook it apprehensively, wondering what it was like not being able to see the person you were talking to.

"You too," I said. I was impressed how much Dean had changed since last I'd seen him. "Congratulations, both of you. I'm sure you'll be very happy together." I said, smiling.

"Thanks. Anyway, we should be going now. Sarah's parents are coming over tonight and we' re cooking for them," Dean said.

"Or rather I'm cooking for them. Dean's just going to help out a little. He tends to burn everything he touches," Sarah said with a laugh.

Dean grinned guiltily. "See you around, Alex," he said before wrapping an arm around Sarah and walking off.

"Mom, who was that?" Corrie asked, watching him disappear around the corner.

"A very old friend," I responded, distracted for a moment until Noah took the opportunity to break into a box of animal crackers. "Noah Jordan Lucas! Just wait till your father hears about this you are going to be in sooo much trouble..."


End file.
